A Walk in Your Shoes
by Spirit007
Summary: What if you suddenly woke up in your enemy's body? Lily Evans & James Potter can't stand each other, but they have to learn how to take a walk in each other's shoes. How do they intend to solve it? By making each other's lives a living hell.
1. Not Your Typical Morning

**A/N: **I'm back! I've worked really hard on the edits here, and its almost like a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and see my Profile for additional details. Let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer:** The only characters I own are those whose names you don't recognize.

**Chapter One: Not Your Typical Morning**

_BANG!_

A loud noise emitted from the Girls' Dorm along with loud screams, interrupting the quiet Sunday afternoon and making everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room jump. Everyone, except for three boys who seemed to be making a great effort not to laugh. A few moments later a putrid odor drifted down into the common room, and the students began to cover their noses as the highly offensive smell invaded their senses.

"Ugh, what a dungbomb," said a fourth year. He lifted the collar of his shirt over his nose.

"I know," his friend replied. His voice became muffled as he followed suit. "I think that's the worst one I've ever smelled."

The murmuring of similar remarks around them was drowned out by a loud whoop from James Potter, a tall boy with glasses and untidy black hair as he his companion a high-five.

"Brilliant! They work!" he crowed. "Looks like we can save a bunch of money from Zonko's, Sirius; ours work better than theirs by far!"

"Yeah, check out that range!"

Peter Pettigrew, the third boy sitting among them, hunched over and a bit twitchy, eagerly chimed in and clapped his hands together excitedly.

"That was amazing you two!"

He raised his flat palm high into the air and attempted to high-five James as well, but the boy's attention was trained on the door above, from where the boom sounded. After waiting a few moments unsuccessfully, Peter awkwardly dropped his hand behind his head, and scratched his scalp to cover up his gaffe.

Remus Lupin was the only one of his friends who didn't join the celebration. He sighed warily.

"Ugh, honestly you two…." He shook his shaggy head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "As entertaining as it can be to be your friend, why must you always insist on doing this stuff when I'm around to see it happen? You _know_ people already assume I play favorites as prefect—you're making it hard for me to hang onto my badge. I hate taking points away from my own house."

"Oh, worry not, Moony," James laughed. He clapped Remus' shoulder amiably. "I'm sure Prefect Prissy Pants is about to enforce her badge more than enough for the two of you."

Remus tilted his head and fixed James with a look of dread. "Of all rooms, _please_ tell me you didn't…"

"Oh, yes. Yes, I did."

At that moment the door to the dorm room flew open, and out came sixteen-year-old Lily Evans. And she was _not _happy. Her elbow-length hair was slightly puffed out, and her green eyes flashed dangerously as she searched the room for a guilty face. She walked to the balcony banister and leaned on it, staring down at the dorm occupants.

"Okay, who did that?" she demanded. "_Who_ put that dungbomb in there?"

Lily whipped her head to the side when she heard a snort of laughter. She ran down the steps and stalked toward where James was seated.

"You!" She started angrily. "You did this, didn't you, Potter?"

James lazily stood from his chair, and crossed his arms, a smirk playing across his lips. "Might have," he answered casually. "Why, is there a problem?"

"Yes, there bloody well is!" Lily screeched. She tilted her head back to fix James with a fierce glare. "I stink, Potter! Merlin knows how long this is supposed to last! Kate, Chloe, and Parker are up there, trying to air the room out. Everything smells like rotten eggs and dung! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in? Knowing you, it's probably some extra long-lasting stench, and—_ugh!_ I have a date later this week and so help me, Potter, that smell had better be gone by then or—!"

"Or you'll what? What are you gonna do, cherry bomb?" James ruffled her hair as he taunted her. "You've already blown up, so the worst of it is over; I have nothing to be afraid of."

"The hell you don't!"

He raised his hands defensively and widened his eyes, donning his most innocent expression. "Look, Evans, I'm sorry. Really, I am, but you see, Sirius and I had no choice. We're testing something that will save us loads of galleons. We had no other option. We could either risk your wrath to see if they worked, or face almost certain financial ruin in the name of fun."

Sirius nodded solemnly and added, "We're learning fiscal responsibility, you should be proud."

"It was just a harmless stink bomb, that's all," James continued, shrugging his shoulders. "The smell will be gone in twenty minutes, maybe thirty. Although, you'll want to wash your hair. And your clothes. Probably your sheets, too. I'd say your face but let's be serious, that probably won't fix anything; you can _scourgify_ a stinky room but you can't _scourgify_ a permanent stink-face."

Sirius burst into a fit of laughter, and, although glancing very apprehensively at the fuming ginger, Peter joined in with a light chuckle. Even Remus had to duck his head to hide his mirth at the clever remark.

For Lily, however, James' snarky attitude only made her fury more intense. Her nostrils flared and she reached her hands out toward him, clenching and releasing her fingers into clawed formations as though battling the urge to wring his neck. "I _swear_, Potter, one of these days I'm…I'm so-_you_—_oooh! YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE!_" She raged loudly.

Wheeling around on her heel she stomped to the staircase. "I'm going to take a shower. And since the prefect bathroom is occupied, as is the one in our room, I am using the boys' shower." She turned on her heel and pounded up the steps, propelling her anger into each one as she climbed.

"You can't do that," protested James.

"Watch me," she spat over her shoulder.

James gave her his signature lopsided smile and made a move to follow her.

"If you insist," he said cheekily.

"That wasn't an invitation, Potter!" She ran the rest of the way into the room and slammed the door behind her, putting a locking spell on the door.

Satisfied that the altercation ended so clearly in his favor, James returned to his seat among his comrades, leaning back into the plush chair and kicking his feet up upon the table in front of him. "Well, that reaction from her was far beyond what I had hoped for," he commented lightly.

Sirius laughed heartily and shook his head, running a hand through is hair as he marveled at what had just taken place.

"Well done, Prongs," he said, impressed. "Well done. Every time I think that I've never seen Lily more upset, you go and accomplish the impossible."

"You know she's gonna get you back James," Remus warned. "She always does eventually. And, somehow she manages to do it mostly under the radar. If she weren't so wound up and so obsessed with following the rules she'd probably be a rival for us."

"Rival?" Sirius snorted. "Screw that, I'd ask the girl the join us. Don't know why she gets all bent out of shape with what we do when she is capable of the same level of mayhem that we are."

"Bite your tongue!" James cried indignantly. "She's a complete amateur, on a _good_ day."

"Yes," Remus replied wryly. "Very amateur of a girl to hex your book bag to chomp onto your hand like a damn piranha every time you tried to reach into it."

"Psh. Child's play, Moony."

"Oh, my mistake—I forgot to fully refresh your memory and add that she was just a first year at the time. So, yes, child's play, indeed."

James waved his hand dismissively, looking bored. "Agree to disagree, Remus."

Remus just rolled his eyes and mouthed "okay", nodding mockingly, letting James delude himself from the truth instead of listing a number of additional examples that proved his point. He wasn't one to waste his breath for a pointless cause.

"So, full moon on Wednesday night, lads," James announced, effectively changing the subject. "What should we do?"

Much later that night, Lily lay awake in bed finishing up some last minute homework. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was about ten minutes to midnight.

_That History of Magic paper was brutal, _she thought. Tucking the roll of parchment carefully into her bag, she groaned when she remembered that she still had to do her Transfiguration essay.

"Damn," she murmured to herself. "Of all the subjects to do late at night when I'm half asleep, I have to do the one that takes most of my attention." She sighed and reached into her bag again, pulling out a fresh roll of parchment, but she couldn't find her text book.

_Oh no_. _This thing is due first thing in the morning! Where did I leave that bloody book? _Lily mentally retraced her steps, and remembered that she had left it on the table in the library.

"Oh, bollocks," she whispered irritably. She reluctantly got to her feet and put on her slippers, trying to stifle a yawn and failing miserably. Swearing under breath, she crept quietly out of her room, down the stairs and out of the Common Room, praying that she didn't run into Mrs. Norris in the hallway.

Luck seemed to be on her side and she reached the library without incident.

"_Alohamora_," she intoned quietly. The giant doors clicked open with ease. After a few tense moments scanning nearby tables, Lily spotted her book not too far from the entrance. She hurriedly ran to snatch it up, and quickly exited the library, praying that her good fortune held up during her return to Gryffindor Tower. As she finally neared the portrait Lily breathed a sigh of relief, but when she got closer it became clear that she had done so too soon.

The Fat Lady, the large woman who had thought she could sing, was the painting who stood guard over the Gryffindor house, and was no where to be seen.

"Oh no," moaned Lily, dropping her head back. "Not this, not now." Checking down the corridors to make sure nobody was behind her, she called softly for the large woman. "Fat Lady…Fat Lady! C'mon Fat Lady, come back! Please?" She waited a few moments in hope, but heard nothing that would signify her arrival. Lily slid down the wall into a sitting position and dropped her head into her hands, pressing her palms over her eyes. "I am so dead…"

"Can I have the honors of burying you?"

Lily started and jerked her head up, her hand flying to her wand instinctively. She found herself staring into the eyes of the last person she wanted to see, and it wasn't Filch.

She groaned and covered her eyes again, wondering why her luck had to go from bad to worse in such a steep incline. "Ugh, _why? _Of all the people. What the hell do you want?" she snapped.

James clucked his tongue and tucked a rolled up cloth under his arm. "Rudeness gets you nowhere, Evans," he said, pointing at her.

Lily prayed for patience as she uncovered her face and looked up at the current bane of her existence.

"Potter," she stated. "I am locked outside of the common room, and it's nearly midnight. I still have to finish my essay, and I am tired. Please, for once in your life, do not mess with me. And wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you!" James chuckled and sat down on the across from her, propping himself against the wall. "It isn't funny! I am never going to get this homework done."

"So what?" he said carelessly. "It's not like the end of the world. So you miss one assignment, big deal."

Lily bit down a yell of frustration, and quickly changed the subject before she started screaming. "What are you doing up, anyway?"

"I was hungry," said James simply. He pulled out an apple from his coat pockets and took a large bite, crunching on it loudly.

"Where'd you get that?"

"From the shop on the fifth floor," he answered sarcastically. "I got it from the kitchens, Evans."

"You know how to get to the kitchens?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"Are you saying," said Lily slowly. "That you nick food from the kitchens whenever you're hungry?"

"Yeah, that's about right."

"Are you out of your mind?" she hissed. "Do you know how many points we could get taken away if a professor catches you?"

"Well they won't," retorted James. "Not that it's any of your business, but I happen to have a fool proof way of not getting caught."

Lily snorted. "You can't have a fool proof plan if the person who is executing it is a fool," she said coolly.

"Are you calling me a fool, Evans?"

"Wow, what a revelation."

James raised one eyebrow. "You're calling _me_ a fool when I'm one of the top students in most of my classes, and you're sitting here because you haven't finished an essay?"

"People who are at the top of the class don't need tutoring in Charms!"

"Oh please!" James shot back, his voice getting louder. "Do you know how many times McGonagall has made me help you in Transfiguration?"

Lily angrily rose to her feet. "Probably a lot less than I've had to help you!"

"It's not like it's an easy class, Evans!"

"What, you think Transfiguration is a picnic for me?" She stepped closer to him and leaned down, poking him roughly in the chest. "Do you think I _enjoy_ having to explain to McGonagall why I shouldn't have to take extra remedial classes? Oh and here's the best part! Two nights a week, I have to spend an hour with _you_ getting help. It shouldn't even be called help! All you do is spend the entire time criticizing my transfiguration skills!"

"Or lack of," said James. "Besides, you don't actually encourage me either, Evans!"

"The only reason you're terrible in that subject is because you and Sirius spend class time making eyes at girls!"

"Like you're not distracted in Transfiguration?" James shot back. "Please! You just pass notes with Kate and Chloe throughout the whole lesson!"

"What I do is none of your business, Potter!"

"Well then stay out of mine!"

Lily was inhaling to yell back, when they were interrupted by a high-pitched cackle followed by a clucking tongue. "Students out of bed?"

Dreading what they would see, James and Lily looked up to see Peeves floating upside down as he observed them with a sharp eye.

"Hello Peeves," said Lily cautiously. She straightened up and did her best to calm herself. The last thing she needed now was to provoke the poltergeist. "What are you doing up here?"

Instead of answering her question Peeves just cocked his head and lifted the side of his mouth in a sinister grin. "Students not allowed to be out of bed…should tell Filch, I should. 'Tis my duty, after all."

"Peeves, please don't get Filch!" begged Lily.

Peeves just ignored her and turned to James. "Heard you yelling all the way down the corridor, I did," he continued. "Shouldn't be yelling at midnight whilst the castle sleeps; very disruptive."

James was in a bad mood because of what Lily said, and was not feeling up to dealing with the ghost's taunting. "So what?" he snapped. "Look, Peeves. Evans and I just had a simple row. It isn't unusual. Now could you please just get the Fat Lady and tell her to let us in?"

Peeves flipped right-side up and smirked at the cranky teenagers, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Know what to do about your conflicts, I do."

"Look," said Lily slowly, trying not to upset him. "Nothing stops them, so you shouldn't even try."

Once again, Peeves ignored her and began to sing, bobbing his head to the slow melody.

"_Take these two souls who now loath, who detest,_

_A walk in the other's own boots they shall test;_

_On a path unfamiliar, yet judged, let them stride_

_Until true peace calms their hearts_

_These switched spirits abide._"

When he finished the song he laughed loudly again and sped away backwards down the corridors, no doubt going to get Filch. Lily and James just gaped after him quietly for a few moments, trying to process what they just heard.

"Translucent little shit," James said finally with a deep sigh.

"But what did it mean?" muttered Lily, more to herself. "'These switched spirits abide…' What the hell is that?

"Who cares? It was probably just some crap Peeves came up with to creep us out. The important thing is that the Fat Lady's back."

Indeed, the Fat Lady was back in her painting, looking uninterested with the fact they were out of bed, after hours. She'd obviously done enough gossiping for today..

Finally!" cried Lily. "Lion's Den!"

The Fat Lady swung open without a word, and Lily and James climbed into the room. Lily bit her lip and glanced at her watch. It was now twelve-fifteen. She would be up until at least one-thirty writing the essay. Without even saying good night to James, she ran up to her dorm room and shut the door. Forgetting to tiptoe she ran across the room and flopped onto her bed, ready to finally start her last assignment.

_This won't be too hard. _she tried to convince herself as she scanned her book. She suddenly felt wide awake, and felt she could go on for hours.

Five minutes later, she fell asleep.

_Hmmm…_

Lily slowly opened her eyes and languidly reached her arms over her head, arching her back in a satisfying stretch. She rolled over to read the clock on the nightstand but her vision blurred the sight in front of her. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyelids and rubbed vigorously before trying to read it again, yet the numbers still appeared to blend together obscuring the time. Thinking it was just sleep in her eyes, Lily brought it closer to her face until the individual digits slid apart and into focus.

_Seven o'clock__.._._I don't want to get up! I don't want to go to transfiguration…_

Suddenly she sat up with a start, remembering the essay that she was supposed to have finished the previous night. _Oh no! _Frantically, pat and parted the covers as she searched the bed for her work, but she couldn't find her books and parchment. She looked over the side of the table, but didn't find her book bag. And much to her frustration, she still couldn't see properly

"What is going on?" she muttered to herself. At the sound of her voice a hand shot to her throat, and Lily wondered why it sounded so different.

_Why is my voice so deep? _ "Hello?" she tested softly. That wasn't normal. _I must have caught something going around…I'll have to have some tea and honey for that before it gets worse. _

She groaned and swung her legs out, easing her body out of bed. _Must have gotten into my pajamas before I got to work, _she thought dazedly, looking down at her crumpled bedclothes.

Lily rolled her head and lightly slapped her face to shake off the sleepy remnants that slowed down her mind. She turned toward the wardrobe to get ready for her day, but stopped her tracks when she glimpsed a very male head poking out of the covers of the bed next to her.

_Wait…who's that in bed with Kate?! _

She yanked the cover back and it revealed just one occupant, and Lily leaned closer to identify the boy. "_Sirius!_" she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Sirius moaned in his sleep and rolled over, groping blindly until he pulled the blankets back over his head.

Lily ran over to the next bed to ask Chloe why Sirius was in their dorm, but found Remus sound asleep instead. "What…?" Lily ran over to the next bed, and the next, and only to find boys instead of girls. She looked around the room and saw trousers, ties, and shoes.

_This is the boys' dorm, _she thought in horror. _What am I doing here?! Did the spell on the stairs malfunction? I'm so confused! _

She hurriedly rushed out of the room as quietly as possible, hoping earnestly that no one would see her exiting the boys' room.

Unfortunately for her there were a few early birds milling around the common room as they started their mornings. Cursing inwardly, Lily saw no other way out of this but to don her best Prefect face, square her shoulders and walk on as though nothing was out of the ordinary. She figured it worked well enough because no one gave her so much of a second glance as she descended the staircase. She tried to take steady, measured steps across the room and avoided looking too closely at anyone, but as she drew closer to the staircase on the other side her pace increased.

_I just have to get to the girls' stairs before anyone looks too closely…almost there…_

Lily still kept her eyes firmly on the ground instead of in front of her, and didn't see the oncoming girl zooming down the stairs and directly into her path until they careened together forcefully. Lily's chest took a brunt of the contact with a dull _thud _and the two students simultaneously puffed out, "_Oof!"_ as they bounced back off of each other.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking—" the girl started apologetically.

"No, no," Lily interjected. "It was my fault, neither was I." She finally looked down at the girl's face in front of her and froze. The image that stared back at her unnerved her to the core; it didn't matter that her vision was still slightly impaired because she would know that face and hair absolutely anywhere.

They were her own.


	2. The Switching Spell James makes a Date

**A/N: **Oh my God! I didn't even expect more than one review on this! Thank to all! Also I want to thank Libberacious for being my wonderful Beta. Okay, now enough chatter, and on to the next chapter which is very long, hope you don't mind!

Chapter Two: The Switching Spell and James Makes a Date

"Lily," said Kate drowsily. "Wha'samatter?" But Lily didn't seem to hear her. She was staring at a girl in front of her who appeared to have the same hair, same face, same _everything _as herself. Then a sudden thought struck her: if this girl was supposed to look exactly like her, shouldn't she be as tall was? _Why do I have to stare _down _at her? _she thought.

"Who screamed?" asked Parker crankily from her bed. "Don't you know what time it is?" Ignoring her as well, Lily took a deep breath and, with immense effort, managed to stay calm.

"Okay," said Lily when she found her voice. "Who are you really?"

"Is that James in here?" someone squealed. "Don't let him see me, I don't have makeup on!" Lily looked around, but didn't see James. When she turned back to the girl, she was still looking at her in horror.

"Who are you?" Lily asked again impatiently.

"I'm…I'm…" the fake-Lily stammered faintly. "I'm a _girl_!" Lily looked at her blankly.

"Well," she said slowly. "Yeah. What else should you be?" The girl gestured wildly at Lily.

"_Me_!" she cried. "I should be _me!_" Still, Lily didn't understand.

"What?" The girl ignored her and turned back to the mirror and grabbed a fist of her hair.

"But instead, I'm Lily Evans!" she wailed loudly.

"What do you mean you're me? And what's wrong with me, anyway?" demanded Lily.

"I'll tell you what's wrong with you," she said rudely, whirling around. "You're not you, that's what's wrong with you!"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not supposed to be a girl!" she continued. "I'm not made for this type of body!" When she saw Lily looking at her blankly, she whispered. "You don't know, do you? You didn't…notice anything weird when you woke up?" She suddenly snorted and crossed her arms. "Then again, how could you? I'm perfect," she said smugly. That sort of attitude strongly reminded Lily of someone…

"No, I didn't notice anything." The girl threw her hands up in frustration.

"God, are you daft Evans? And you say it's a wonder how _I_ became a prefect." Lily started to feel a bit faint. There was only one person who called her that.

"What did you just call me?" she asked shakily.

"Evans. I've called you that since first year!" Lily pointed her finger at him.

"But that means you're…you're…" The girl leaned in and raised an eyebrow.

"Guess who?" she said in a "no duh" type of tone. Lily leaned closer and looked into her eyes. Although they were green just like hers, they held some sort of gleam that _her_ eyes never had.

"Potter?" she whispered. The impersonator smirked at her.

"The one and only." Lily took a step back in horror.

"But how did you manage a polyjuice potion?" she said. "That potion is extremely difficult, Potter. _And _the recipe is in the restricted section! Do you have any idea how much trouble—"

"God don't _get _it, do you, Evans?" he interrupted. "I _didn't brew_ a polyjuice potion."

"But, that's impossible," protested Lily. "Because the only other way you could be me is if…" She trailed off as everything finally clicked into place. She looked back at James as her and shook her head violently.

"No way," she said frantically. "There is no way in hell, Potter, so don't even go there!"

"Have you happened to take a glance in the mirror, Evans? Or possibly realize you couldn't see straight?" He grabbed her shoulders and steered her to the mirror, confirming Lily's worst nightmare. "Welcome to hell," he said grimly. Lily's eyes, or rather, _James's _eyes widened in terror. Unable to say anything, opened and closed her mouth as she ran large, unfamiliar hands over a body that wasn't hers.

"I'm…I'm…_I'm a boy!" _

"Now you understand my distress, Evans." Lily ran a hand through the short brown mop that was attached to her scalp.

"Oh, my hair," she moaned. _I'm in Potter's body! _"What did you do Potter?" she said furiously.

"Not so speechless now, are we?" Lily turned away from the mirror and stared down at the person in front of her.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?" she yelled again.

"I didn't do anything," he said calmly. For some reason, this set Lily in a worse mood that he wasn't more bothered about this.

"You must have done something," she growled. "And why are you so calm?"

"Well for one," he said, holding up a finger. "I've already gotten used to the shock, seeing as I realized what I was a lot quicker than you. And two, I finally get to find out what a girl looks like naked." Lily hadn't thought of that.

"Well think again, Potter!" she said poking him in the chest (quite literally this time). "I'll be damned if you see my body without something covering it!" But James wasn't listening. He was staring down at his new bust and poking at it curiously.

"So that's what one of those feels like," he said in awe. "Wait until I tell Sirius!" Lily smacked his hand away.

"Stop that!" she hissed. "Potter, while you are in my body, you will not touch anything you don't usually have, nor will you see it naked. Understand?"

"How do expect me to get dressed?" _That's a good point, _thought Lily.

"I don't know," she said irritably. "I'll think of something. Right now, we have to go to Professor Dumbledore and ask him to sort out this problem."

"Now? We've got class!"

"I don't care! I am not going anywhere until I have my body back."

"You mean little-miss-prefect wants to ditch?" James said in mock awe.

"Don't test me, Potter," she growled.

At that moment, Chloe woke up and looked over to the bickering pair.

"James, what are you doing in here?" she asked. Not used to being addressed as James, Lily didn't answer. It wasn't until James turned to her and mouthed, "answer her!" that she realized Chloe was talking to her.

"Uh..." she stammered. _I have to tell her, _she thought. She took a deep breath and forced herself to speak calmly. "Okay, Chloe. I'm going to say something that you probably won't believe but you have to because I really need your help because something really freaky is going on—"

"Will you shut it, Potter?" interrupted James, doing such a good imitation of Lily that it stopped her cold. "You know you aren't allowed in here." He paused a moment before grinning at her evilly. _Oh, that can't be good, _thought Lily worriedly. "But," added James cheerfully to Chloe. "He's now invited in here any time he wants. Remus, Sirius and Peter, too." Lily opened her mouth in protest.

"You can't do that!" she cried. James turned to her and smirked.

"Try and stop me," he said to her. "I'm a prefect. I can do anything I want." Chloe looked at the two, getting more confused by the moment.

"Lily," she said. "Are you actually aware of what you just did? And, James why are you trying to get her to change her mind? You've been trying to sneak your way in here to spy on us for months, but Lily's always caught you."

"Yeah," said James thoughtfully. "Pity." Lily grabbed James roughly around the wrist and began to drag him to the door before he could say anything else.

"We need to go now," she said loudly, glaring at James. "Excuse us Kate, we have to go see the headmaster about this problem we have—"

"Prefect business," James cut in smoothly, much to Lily's annoyance. "Extremely secret, if you know what I mean, Chloe. C'mon _Potter_, we don't want to be late!" He pulled her out of the door and shut it firmly behind him.

"Why did you stop me?" Lily asked angrily. "I was about to tell her what was going on. She would have helped!"

"Evans," said James in a low voice. "Do you really think she would believe us? What would you say? Oh I know, how about, "Good morning, Chloe! Brilliant weather we're having, don't you think? By the way, I know I look like James but I'm actually Lily inside his body 'cause of some freaky accident and now I have to learn how to use the loo in a masculine way.' Yeah Evans, that would have been perfect. They'd drag you off to St. Mungo's and when I got back to my own body, I'd be stuck with therapy for life! And what's wrong with this thing! It's too short!" He stood up on tiptoes and attempted to look her in the eye.

"Yeah well I'll have to be stuck in therapy for life just to try and erase this catastrophe from my memory! I'm scarred for life, Potter and it's all your fault!"

"IT IS NOT!" James yelled back. Lily noted that his voice had risen to a high pitch just like she did when she was upset. "I didn't do anything!"

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "And I'm Merlin reincarnated!"

"NICE TO MEET YOU MERLIN, I'M VERY FOND OF YOUR WORK!"

"Will you two shut up?" said an irritable seventh year who was sitting in front of the fire. "Do you mind saving it until it's later in the day?"

"Why don't you stuff it and mind your own business?" snapped James. But since everyone thought he was Lily, they all looked quite taken aback at what he said. Normally, Lily would have apologized and lowered her voice. But then again, this was not a normal day, and James wasn't Lily.

"Pot—I mean Evans," said Lily through clenched teeth. "Don't yell at him, he didn't mean anything by it."

"I don't need you to jump to my rescue, Potter," the boy said rudely to her. Lily looked down and him and narrowed her eyes, which, she noticed, improved her vision a bit.

"Excuse me?" she dangerously. "I wasn't trying to _jump to your rescue_, as you so _kindly_ put it. For your information, I was trying shut him—I mean, _her_ up so she wouldn't disturb the other students. Have a problem with that?"

"Yeah," he said. "Next time do it quieter." Without another word, the boy stalked out of the Common Room.

"What's his problem?" Lily said angrily. James just leaned against the wall carelessly.

"Alex Winters," he told her. "Has hated me ever since he caught me snogging his girlfriend last year. I tried to tell him that she tripped and fell on my mouth but he just wasn't hearing it. He broke up with her on the spot." Lily smacked him on the shoulder, and since his hands were larger, it hurt more.

"Ow!"

"_You _were the one who broke them up?" she said angrily. "Potter, those two had been going out since third year! And you had to go after her when you knew she was taken! Alison must have been heartbroken." James snorted and rubbed his new shoulder.

"She didn't seem so heartbroken later that night in the astronomy tower," he said. "I'll tell you, if every girl kisses like she does with a broken heart, I'll be willing to the rebound every time."

"That's disgusting!" Once again, she grabbed his wrist and started down the stairs. "C'mon, we are going to Dumbledore, I am getting my body back, and then I will go back to hating you in peace!" When she was almost there, she stopped and turned to look at her body. It was still in yesterday's clothes, which were wrinkled, and her hair was a mess. "Wait a minute; I can't let you walk around the school in my body looking like _that!_" She turned around and started back up the steps James looked down at himself and except for the obvious, didn't see anything wrong.

"Like what?" he asked. "What's wrong with it?"

"I'm wearing yesterday's dirty clothes, that's what's wrong! And I have to brush my hair!" She ran a hand through her red hair but James swatted it away.

"Oh, who cares? Girls worry about the stupidest things. Hair, honestly."

"Oh, what do you do?" said Lily sourly. "Just get out of bed and get dressed without doing anything to it?"

"Yeah," he said unabashedly. "What else would I do?" Lily rolled he eyes, and much to James's horror, put her on her hips.

"Well, that explains a lot Potter."

"Don't stand like that! It makes me look like a girl!"

"I am a girl!"

"Not right now, so act more like a guy!"

"I-you…!" James smirked at her, waiting for a retort. Lily heaved a sigh and threw her hands up in frustration. "You know what? We don't have time for this! I am not going to waste my time arguing with you. We need to go to Dumbledore and I am not letting you walk around as me looking like that." She was about to run into her dorm but James stopped her. "What?" she demanded.

"Did you happen to think about how it would look if a _boy_ went into the _girls' _dorm while they were getting dressed?" he pointed out. "Let me tell you from experience, they would not be happy." He suddenly grinned and walked to the door. "Better let me do it."

"Absolutely not!" said Lily blocking the door. "Are you crazy? You can't go in there!"

"It's either that or I walk around like this. You make the choice, I really don't care." Lily thought quickly and knocked on the door softly. She heard loud shrieking and was partially thankful that James had stopped her. It would have been a disaster.

"Who is it?" said Kate from the other side.

"Kate," called Lily. "It's me Lil—I mean James. Could you do me a favor and hand me Lily's brush and robe?" She was slightly taken aback when she heard Kate snort.

"Right," she said skeptically. "Lily would kill me if I gave you any of her belongings. What do you want with them anyway?" _Oh Kate, now is not a time for questions! _James pushed her aside regally.

"Let me handle this Evans," he said with an air. "Kate, darling, I really need my robe and brush. Could you be a sweetheart and hand them to me?" Lily rolled her eyes when she heard the use of the pet names. _Typical Potter, _she thought reproachfully. _Always using his charms to get what he wants. _When she heard Lily's voice, Kate opened the door slightly and peered out.

"Why don't you just come in and get it yourself?" she asked. James glanced at Lily smugly before answering.

"Well you see," he said. "I suggested that, but Potter here wanted to try and get it so that he could get some sick peep show." Lily opened and closed her mouth in outrage.

"I did not!" she cried. Kate just looked at her with a skeptical look.

"Yeah, right James," she said. "It's nothing new. Lily, just come in here and get it. Your robe is hanging in the bathroom and your brush is on the dresser." She opened the door a bit wider and James looked at Lily and wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'll be right back, Potter," he said whispered with a smile. Lily shook her head forcefully as James walked inside.

"Kate, no! Don't let him…in." Kate had shut the door in her face. Lily groaned and leaned against the banister. In light of new events, she really was reconsidering changing the no-boys-allowed-rule so that she would be able to go in.

Lily sighed and glanced at the clock. James was taking too long in there just to fetch a few things.

"Sick, sick bastard," she muttered under her breath. She waited another minute or so before she started to bang on the door. "PO—EVANS! GET OUT HERE NOW! We have that _meeting _to go to! If you don't get out here now, I'm coming in!"

"Don't you dare, James!" called a girl's voice that sounded suspiciously like Parker's. "You know you aren't allowed in here!" Lily continued to pound on the door.

"THEN SEND EVANS OUT! I'M GIVING YOU UNTIL THE COUNT OF THREE EVANS! 1…2…" At that moment, Sirius and Remus emerged from the boys' dorm.

"Hey, Prongs," said Sirius cheerfully. "What are you doing up so soon? Usually we have to literally drag your lazy arse out of bed." Lily gestured furiously at the door, not pausing to wonder at the strange name.

"I am trying to get into there, but they won't let me in!" Remus rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"Wonder why," he said dryly. "James, when are you going to give it up? You have never been allowed into the girl's dorm. You will _never_ be allowed into the girls' dorm. Don't you get that yet?"

"Thank you!" said Lily, forgetting that she was supposed to be acting like James. "Finally someone who agrees with me. I keep telling him that but he just won't get it!" Sirius and Remus were giving her strange looks. "Uh…" she stammered. "That is to say, Evans is always saying that and I think its about time for me to start listening to her." Remus and Sirius looked at each other, and looked back at her.

Then at the same time, they both burst into laughter.

"That's a good one James," chuckled Sirius. "The day you listen to Lily Evans is the day you kiss a Slytherin. Although if I were you, I would ask her out. I tell you, she is the one girl who I wouldn't mind having a nice long snog session with." Lily sputtered angrily, but she was drowned out Remus' laughter.

"Ha!" he said loudly. "The _one _girl you want to snog? What happened to what you said last night?" Sirius joined in his laughter.

"Yeah, I suppose your right," he said. "But what I'm saying is that she's the one girl who wouldn't be caught jumping from guy to guy, so I really envy the person who she'll end up with."

"Damn straight," Lily said strongly. Once again, this shocked the boys into silence.

"Let me get this straight," said Remus slowly. "Are you saying you envy whomever gets to go out with Lily Evans? If I didn't know better James, I would say that you were starting to like her." This time, it was Lily's turn to snort. Thinking of her and James together made her feel a bit queasy.

"Please!" she said. "That's disgusting! I'd rather kiss the Lucius Malfoy." Finally, James came out of the girls' dorm with his hair neatly brushed, looking quite sullen. "It's about time!" exclaimed Lily. "What did you do in there?"

"Relax, _Potter,_" James said. "I didn't see anything, they were all either dressed or still in their pajamas. Damn," he added softly. "Look, I got the stupid brush and robe. Now that I look presentable, can we go now?" Sirius walked over to him and slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Ah, but my precious flower," he said dramatically. "You always look presentable." He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Just like Lily would have been, James was disgusted. Only this time, he wasn't trying to act like her.

"Gross!" he cried. He shoved Sirius away just as his lips were about to make contact with his cheek and started to furiously wipe it with his sleeve. "Get away from me, Black! That's disgusting. Ew, I'm contaminated!" Since this is what Lily usually did, minus wiping the cheek, Sirius wasn't fazed by the behavior. In fact, he just laughed.

"Lily," he said. "I'm hurt!"

"Yeah, well you'll live," Lily said sarcastically.

"Like you would have any better luck, Prongs," Sirius snorted. At the same time, Lily and James made faces.

"Nasty!" said James. "I could do much better than that." He pointed at Lily.

"Yeah, well I could do much better than you too!" she retorted, not to be out done. Remus stepped between them, wanting to break up a potential argument.

"Enough," he said. "It is way too early to argue. Shouldn't you two be getting dressed? We have class in about half an hour and we have to go down to eat."

"Actually, we have to go see Dumbledore," said Lily.

"Why?" asked Remus. James gave Lily a warning look.

"Prefect stuff," she mumbled.

"And we really shouldn't be late," James said, grinning slyly. He grabbed Lily's wrist and started down the steps. "Be seeing you Padfoot, Moony!" When they left the room, Sirius turned Remus, thoroughly confused.

"Did she just call us what I think she just called us?" he asked. Remus nodded his head, still staring at the portrait door.

"Yeah," he said faintly. "She did. Is it just me, or is something strange going on? What was all that about the girls still being in their pajamas?"

"I don't know," said Sirius shrugging. "They must be tired or something. C'mon, let's go eat. Peter's already down there. How he gets up before seven-thirty, I'll never know."

"You can let go of my wrist, Potter," snapped Lily as they headed to Professor Dumbledore's office. "I'm a big girl." James chuckled and let go of her wrist.

"Not today," he said.

"You know what, Potter," Lily hissed in a low voice. "This really is all your fault."

"Why is it _my _fault?"

"Because! If you hadn't been sneaking around for a late night snack, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Excuse me! What about you, Ms. High-and-Mighty? I wasn't the only one out of bed. What were _you_ doing?"

"I was actually doing something productive, Potter! I had to go get my Transfiguration book. I hadn't finished my essay and—Oh my god! I didn't finish my essay!" James laughed.

"Sucks for you," he said unsympathetically. Lily glared at him as they rounded the corner.

"I really don't need to hear that right now, Potter," she said acidly. "I've never handed in an assignment late!"

"Neither have I," he said smugly. "I finished my essay two days ago." Lily suddenly brightened.

"That's right!" she said happily. "If I'm you, then I have to hand in _your _homework! I have an essay!"

"One problem Evans. Just because I'm in your body doesn't mean a missing assignment won't go on your record." Lily looked at him, a sneaky glint twinkling in her eyes.

"But if I change the name on the paper," she began. "That shouldn't be a problem!" James stopped in his tracks and looked at her in horror.

"You wouldn't," he said. "That's cheating Evans!" Lily just shrugged and continued walking.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it cheating," she said lightly.

"What would you call it then," he said crossly, running to catch up with her. "Lying, dishonesty, deceit, trickery, fraud…the list goes on, Evans!" Lily looked at him and raised her eyebrows

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of _borrowing_."

"It isn't borrowing if you don't intend on giving it back!" he screeched.

"Ahem," said a voice behind them. They stopped arguing and turned around to see the headmaster staring down at them, half amused, half confused. "Is there a reason you are calling Mr. Potter by your name, Ms. Evans?" he asked James.

"Well, Professor," Lily said delicately. "We seem to be having a problem."

"You'll have to forgive me when I say this, Mr. Potter, but I don't see how that is out of the ordinary."

"No sir," said James. "We mean it's worse than usual." Dumbledore nodded understandably.

"Ah," he said simply. "What seems to be the problem, Ms. Evans?"

"Well, that's just it, sir," said James. "I'm not Evans." Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and looked at him curiously.

"Oh really?" he said. "Who are you?"

"It's me, James." Professor Dumbledore turned to Lily.

"And that would make you…"

"Lily, sir," she said sheepishly. "I know it seems like it's impossible, but unfortunately it's true. I'm Potter, and Potter's me. Does that make sense?" Much to her surprise, Dumbledore smiled.

"Of course," he said simply. "Why don't you two step into my office and we'll get this whole thing sorted out." Lily and James exchanged bewildered glances and followed him to his office. They hardly expected him to take it this well. When they got inside, Dumbledore told them to sit down and popped a lemon drop into his mouth.

"So," he said cheerfully. "Quite a predicament we have here." Still staring at him, Lily and James nodded mutely. "Do you know how this happened?"

"No sir," said James. "I just woke up and I was in her body."

"Same here," said Lily.

"You don't remember anything unusual happening yesterday?" James shook his head, but Lily seemed to be thinking.

"Wait a minute," she said slowly. "Peeves!"

"What?" asked James. Lily turned to him.

"Peeves, Potter, Peeves!" James just looked at her blankly.

"What about him?"

"Last night, Potter! Remember! He came up to us and started to singing that weird song. I knew there was something strange about it!"

"Care to elaborate, Mr…Ms. Evans?"

"You see sir, last night Potter was…" James threw her a sharp look. "…I mean, uh. We were both…You see we were—" Professor Dumbledore grinned slightly with a twinkle in his eye.

"Out of bed after hours," he finished for her.

"Uh, yes sir. But not together," Lily added hurriedly. James snorted.

"In your dreams, Evans," he muttered.

"Not even in my worst nightmares, Potter!" she spat. Dumbledore cleared his throat again, looking at the bickering pair in amusement. "Sorry, Professor. You see Potter and I were waiting outside the portrait because Agatha wasn't there to let us in. So we…er, sort of got into a bit of a row. Then Peeves interrupted us and started sing this song."

"A song?" Dumbledore repeated.

"Yeah," said James. "If you could call it that. How did it go again, Evans?" Lily scrunched up her face in thought.

"It was something like…two irritable people…then something about being switchable…I'm sorry, I can't remember the rest."

"That's quite alright, Ms. Evans," said Professor Dumbledore. "I believe I know what spell Peeves used. Tell me, is this how it went? _Two people irritable, about to become switchable, Upset with one another, about to be each other. Come midnight gone it will be, and then the two shall see, that no other will suit the other and happy they will be._"

"Yes," said James. "Except that Peeves sang it and he said stuff about enjoying the day and wreaking havoc."

"Well I think that was just his own addition," Dumbledore told him. "But what he said is in fact an old spell that was created hundreds of years ago." Lily turned to James and glared at him.

"I told you it was something weird," she hissed. "But you just thought it was some song Peeves made up!"

"Evans, shut up and let Dumbledore talk!" Ignoring the interruption, Dumbledore continued.

"It was created by a witch of the sixteenth by the name of Alberta Hamilton. Her two children were always arguing with each other, and it was beginning to affect their home life. So one day she wrote the spell and said it over her children during one of their many disputes, and the next day they woke up as one another. After they switched back, they were closer than ever."

"That's great, Professor," said James dryly. "Really it is. But exactly how long did it take for things to be happily ever after and back to normal?"

"Well, with these two siblings, they were back to themselves in about two weeks."

"TWO WEEKS!" Lily and James cried in unison.

"Although it varies. However, for you I believe it will take about a month. Or longer."

"A MONTH!"

"Or longer," added Dumbledore

"Professor, I can't be a girl for a month! I've got a Quidditch game on Saturday!"

"I can't be in Potter's body; I've got a date with someone on Friday! I can't go on a date with a boy _as _a boy!" James agreed.

"No you bloody well can't!" he exclaimed. "Do you have any idea what that would do to my image, Evans?"

"Improve it?" she suggested sweetly. James crossed his arms and glared at her.

"Oh ha, ha, ha," he said sourly. "I'm absolutely howling on the inside Evans, really I am." Dumbledore stuck another lemon drop into his mouth, making no attempt to break up the argument. _They're going to have to learn to get along during this disaster, _he thought. _Might as well let them get it out now. _

"This is all your fault, Potter!"

"You know what? You really need to find a new catchphrase, Evans, because that one is getting old!"

"It's no catchphrase, it's the truth! You're always screwing around, always getting me into trouble just when things are going well for me. Last year you landed me into detention twelve times in _two months! _Just when I had been made a prefect! I'm _still _earning back all the points I lost!"

"Well what about me?" he shot back. "How about the time you told that first year that I wanted to ask her to the Yule Ball when I was a fourth year? Remember when you came up to that Ravenclaw _just_ when I was asking her out and said, 'Potter, Madam Pomfrey found that cure for the rash you've had in your mouth, but she said that you shouldn't have any lip to lip contact with anyone'? It took me a week to convince her that I wasn't contagious! Or that time you made me do gymnastics in ways that are _not physically possible? _I was in Hospital wing for two days after that!"

"That was after you made my breath smell like raw fish right before I went up to ask out Luke Warren!"

"Yeah, two weeks after! You have serious forgiveness issues, Evans!"

"Oh sod off, Potter!"

"Language, Ms. Evans," Professor Dumbledore warned gently.

"Sorry Professor, you're right. That was completely out of line. Go to Hell, Potter!"

"I'm sure you'll be down there to welcome me, Evans! Tell Salazar Slytherin I said hi!" Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat, deciding the two teens had gotten enough out of their systems.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans," he said. "The only way for you to return to your bodies is that you learn to get along and understand one another."

"Like that's ever going to happen," James said under his breath.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but it's the only way. It is entirely up to you how long you and Ms. Evans are in each other's bodies." Lily groaned.

"But how are we going to change?" she whined. James shrugged and smirked at her.

"Hopefully the regular way," he said cheekily.

"Potter, how would you like it if I saw _you _naked?" James's smirk grew wider.

"I really don't care," he said. "But if you wanted to see me naked, Evans, all you had to do was ask." Instead of answering with a sharp remark, Lily turned quite red and just mumbled something about James being a pervert, adding a few choice adjectives. Desperately trying to stop his growing smile, Dumbledore continued.

"There is a simple spell for that," he said happily. "Just point at yourself and say _Sapora_ and you'll be in clean clothes or pajamas." Dumbledore quickly glanced at his clock. "Well, it's almost eight o' clock," he said. "Your classes start in fifteen minutes, so you have just enough time to go and eat a quick breakfast."

"But Professor—!"

"I don't think this will—"

"If you don't leave now I don't think you'll have time to eat," interrupted Dumbledore, smiling at them. "Run along, now." James and Lily reluctantly shuffled out of Professor Dumbledore's office, feeling slightly confused that he hadn't tried harder to switch them back. Dumbledore softly shut the door behind them, and they stared at it for a moment in silence. They did not here him say softly, "Well done, Peeves. Well done."

"Right," Lily finally said. "Well that certainly helped a lot." She quickly pointed her wand at herself and said, "_Sapora!_" A clean uniform quickly replaced James's striped pajamas. She looked at James, waiting for him to change into a uniform. But James was just staring down at her body, and his face was starting to change from confused to horrified. "What is it?" Lily asked impatiently. "Do you want to get to breakfast or not?" James slowly looked up at her.

"I just realized," he said in a hushed voice. "I have to wear a…a…"

"A what?" James lowered his voice even more as if was about to reveal a terrible secret.

"A skirt!" Lily rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Oh, please." She flicked her wand at him and he was instantly wearing her Hogwarts uniform, complete with a skirt. James looked down at himself with wide eyes.

"Evans, you have know idea how damaging that is to my manhood!"

"Whatever, just come on. I'm hungry." She turned on her heel and briskly walked to the Great Hall with James trailing behind her, desperately pulling the skirt down in a vain attempt to cover his legs…or rather, _her _legs.

"I don't know how girls stand these things," he grumbled. "Don't you get cold?"

"It's just like wearing shorts, Potter."

"Not when you have a breeze blowing around in places you aren't used to feeling them!"

"Well you'd better _get_ used it!" Just then a pretty brunette walked up to her and began to twirl a strand of her hair around her finger. She was wearing _way _too much make up.

"Hi, James," she said flirtatiously. Lily looked at James uncertainly. He encouraged her by nodding his head vigorously.

"Um, hi," The girl giggled nervously and bat her eyelashes, much to Lily's disgust.

"Hi," she said again. "Look, I was just wondering, you wanna walk me to class again?" _Pitiful, _Lily thought, trying very hard not to roll her eyes.

"Well, right now I'm going to eat breakfast," she said. "You shouldn't be late to your class." Unfortunately for Lily, the girl was not bothered.

"That's alright," she said cheerfully. "I can wait for you." Lily looked at James for help, but he just shrugged.

"Don't look at me," he said, chuckling softly. "_You're _James Potter, remember?" Lily glared at him for a moment, then turned back to the brunette who was eagerly waiting for her to say something.

"Actually, I don't think we have the same classes."

"That didn't seem to matter much last week," she said coyly. "You sure taught me a lesson in the abandoned classroom during first period. Want to go back with me for a…tutorial session?" She moved closer to Lily and raised her eyebrows suggestively. Lily whipped around to James and mouthed "tutorial session?" He just shrugged again and tried to suppress a laugh. Lily gave him a revolted look.

"James?" said the girl again. Lily turned around to her again, trying very hard to think of something that would make her go away.

"Um…" she stammered. "Look…uh, what's your name again?" The girl pouted, looking slightly hurt.

"Chelsea!"

"Right, Chelsea," Lily said quickly. "I knew that. Listen, I just don't think we're going to work out." Chelsea's eyes began to tear up.

"But…"she stuttered. "But you told me I had nice eyes!"

"There are a lot of people who have nice eyes," Lily said simply.

"You said I was special!" Lily moved a finger around inside her ear. Chelsea's voice had reached a very high pitched note.

"I'm sure it's nothing new I've said," she said grimly, throwing a sharp look at James. People were beginning to stare curiously.

"You said I was a good kisser!" Chelsea wailed loudly. Lily had had enough of this whining. She lost her sympathy and decided to be honest.

"Look," she said firmly. "Chelsea is your name, right? Here is a piece of advice: get real and get a life, okay? Jam—I mean _I'm _not all that great. I tell any girl who has lips that she's a good kisser just to get her in the closet, I never date a girl for more than a week, I—" James elbowed her sharply in the ribs, effectively cutting her off.

"I think she gets it, _Potter,_" he said, glowering at her.

"The point is," continued Lily, rubbing her side. "You don't even deserve me. You can do much better. I heard Matt Carter has liked you since fourth year. Why don't you invite him into a closet?" Chelsea sniffed loudly and rubbed her eyes.

"Fine," she said dramatically. "Fine by me. Take Lily Evans into the some other classroom, see if I care." Lily and James both stared at her in shock.

"You thought I meant—you think I want to…" sputtered Lily, pointing to James. "Oh no-no-no, you have the wrong idea completely—" James was just as appalled.

"You really think I would want to invite he…I mean him, into a closet? To _snog_? Are you mental? I'd rather go in there with a boggart!"

"You think I'm that stupid to believe those lies?" Chelsea asked, scandalized. She definitely had the entire hallway's attention by now.

"Yes!" cried Lily and James together. Chelsea glared at James in Lily's body for a moment, but her expression softened when she looked at Lily.

"I'm sorry if I did something to upset you, James," she said kindly, as if she had forgotten everything Lily said. "I hope we can get together again sometime. And as for you," She turned to Lily, and her voice was suddenly cold. "You won't last long at all." Without another word, she turned on her heel and stalked down the hall to a group of eager girls who attacked her for details. The students in the hallway looked at Lily and James in complete silence. They knew that any idea of Lily and James kissing in a closet, or anywhere for that matter, was ridiculous. But after Chelsea had given such a show, they wanted to see what happened next. Lily looked back at them all menacingly.

"WHAT?" she yelled. At the same time everyone scattered and went on with their business, talking in low voices about what had just taken place. Lily sighed and glanced at her watch.

"Damn," she muttered. "We're too late. We have to go to Transfiguration now, and we still have to get our stuff." James snorted and started to descend the steps down to the first floor, where the Transfiguration classroom was located. "Are you completely blind, Potter? I can't see a thing!"

"That's why I wear glasses, Evans. I thought you knew by now that they weren't just for good looks, although they certainly add to the effect." Lily rolled her eyes, held out her wand and cried, "_ACCIO GLASSES!"_ A minute later, James's glasses came soaring into her hands. When she put them on, everything was finally clear. She proceeded to summon her book bag and James's as well. She handed him the one with her name on it.

"Hey! This is your book bag, Evans!"

"Yeah, and _you_ are Lily Evans which is why you will be carrying _Lily Evans's book bag!_" she hissed.

"Fine, just give my essay so I can turn it in as mine and not yours."

"No," Lily said flatly.

"Evans! Give it!"

"No," she repeated. "You aren't going to win this one, Potter. Besides, how would it look if Lily Evans handed in James Potter's homework, anyway? McGonagall would never accept it. She would probably think I did something to it." James raised his eyebrows.

"Wonder why," he mumbled.

"Look, I promise I'll turn it in as yours, alright?"

"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you."

"Well you'll have to since I'm taller than you. I can just hold it above your head!" James just glared at her, knowing that she had him. They were silent for a moment as the made their way to the classroom. Then there was a low grumble that came from Lily's stomach. James laughed softly.

"You know, you wouldn't be hungry if you had shaken her off sooner," he said to Lily.

"Look, Potter, I'm sorry I was so mean to your girlfriend, but—"

"Girlfriend?" James repeated disbelievingly. "_Girlfriend?_ Chelsea Galloway, my girlfriend?"

"You're right, stupid question. Anyway, I suppose I shouldn't have been so rough with her."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean 'why not'?" Lily gave him a look. "Is that what you say every time you 'break up' with a girl?" James bit his lip thoughtfully.

"More or less, yeah," he said carelessly. Lily was disgusted.

"That is _so _like you!" she exclaimed. "You must break a ton of hearts every week!" James gave her a smug look. "That's _not _what I meant, Potter! It wasn't a compliment. That's terrible that you talk that way to them, after you sweet talk them and make them think you're head over heels for them. You know how much they like you, Potter! You should be nicer!"

"Sirius does it too!" he said defensively. "Besides, you saw how hard it was to make her go away. Try dealing with that all the time, Evans."

"Oh, the shame," she said dryly.

"No, I'm serious! Nothing else works. Honestly, kiss a girl for a minute or twenty and she thinks she's your damn wife."

"Imagine that," Lily said. "Why in the world would someone think you actually _fancy _them after tell them how special they are."

"Exactly," he said, not picking up on her sarcasm.

"Just one question, Potter. Why say all that stuff if all you want to do is make out?" James shrugged.

"Boredom." Lily stopped in her tracks and fixed him with a look.

"That is disgusting," she said. "You have got to be the biggest perverted pig to walk this earth. And, even after you say all that crap and make them cry, they still think you're the hottest and sweetest guy in school. I have yet to figure out why and how."

"It's a gift," James said, smiling at her.

"Gift my ass," she muttered. Just to piss her off, James twisted around to take a look at his new butt.

"And a very nice one, too," he murmured. Lily was too shocked to say anything, so she hit with a book.

Very hard.

"Ouch!" he cried. "Just remember, Evans. This is your body and it will be you who has the bruises afterward."

"It's worth it," she said shortly. Much to her annoyance, James smirked at her.

"Oh come on," he said as he entered the classroom. "Don't lie, you know you liked it." Lily slid into his seat and looked away, trying to hide the blush that was creeping into her cheeks.

"In your dreams!"

"Evans, you're blushing."

"No I'm not!" she said quickly. James just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Evans, you're in my body," he said skeptically. "I think I would know when my cheeks blush, and they're starting to blush."

"They are not," Lily said stubbornly. She put her head into her arms, trying to block out James's comments. _I do feel a tickly feeling in my stomach, _she thought. _But it must be the hunger. _Just then, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey James." Praying that it wasn't one of his groupies, Lily reluctantly turned around, very happy to see that it was Kate.

"Kate," she said happily. "I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to talk to you, but—"

"What do you mean, 'talk to me'?" she said, bewildered. "I just came up to you to give you a message from Jasmine, you know, that girl in my dorm room. Yeah, well, she wants me to tell you that she thinks you're cute. Although, why she won't do it yourself is beyond me. She's over there if you want to talk to her." She pointed over to a shy looking girl in the back who was looking at him nervously. When Lily turned to her, she quickly looked down and busied herself with her textbook.

"Oh, I knew she liked him," she said, without thinking. When Kate looked at her strangely, she hurried to fix her mistake. "I mean _me. _I knew she liked _me._ She stays up all night and talks about me. At least, that's what I heard anyway."

"You are so conceited," Kate said. "It's no wonder Lily can't stand you." Although unlike Lily would have said it, she said it jokingly. She walked over to the desk behind James and slid into it, striking up a conversation with Parker, not hearing Lily mumble, "Who're you telling?"

"Hey, buddy!" said a loud voice ear. Lily jumped and knocked heads with Sirius, who had been leaning very close to her.

"Dammit, Sirius!" she said irritably, rubbing her head. "What's your problem? Don't you know you can kill people that way?" Sirius furrowed his eyebrow a bit.

"Look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed," he commented.

"You have no idea," Lily replied. James jumped into the conversation, much more cheerful than Lily.

"Hey Sirius, how's it goin'!" he said casually. Sirius looked at him strangely for a moment before smiling. Lily noted that he was quite good looking when he smiled.

"I'm fine Lily-flower," he said. "How was that meeting with Dumbledore?"

"Fine," said James. "Although it didn't go as well as planned. We've got a few little problems here and there we need to work out, but otherwise fine." Lily snorted.

"Little?" she repeated. "In comparison to what?"

"In comparison to your big mouth," he said rudely. "Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation here." Sirius started to laugh and clapped Lily on the shoulder.

"Shut up, Sirius." Lily was about to say something more when she saw Derek Thomas out of the corner of her eye, and she was coming up to James. So she did the only logical thing a girl would do in her same situation.

She panicked.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, which sounded very weird coming from a boy. "Oh my God! Not here, not now! Could this day get any worse?" Sirius gave her a curious look.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Lily repeated. She grabbed his collar and shook him roughly. "_What's wrong_? My day is about to get, like, ten thousand times worse! That's what's wrong!"

"Is that even possible at this point?" James asked, trying to help Sirius out of her grip. Lily leaped out of her seat and knelt in front of him.

"Okay, Potter," she said, glancing back at Derek. He had stopped to talk to another student. "Just listen don't talk. The guy coming up to you right now is Derek Thomas. He finally asked me out a few days ago and I'm supposed to go out with him on Friday."

"And I should care because…?"

"Because you are in my body right now and you need to cancel! I've liked him, like, forever and nothing can go wrong on that date. _Nothing!_ You have to cancel that date with him until we switch back!" James smirked at her.

"If I do what you're telling me, what I do I get?" Lily groaned. She was ready to throttle him, and the only thing that was stopping her was that she didn't want to return to a dead body.

"_This is not the time, Potter!" _she hissed furiously.

"What will I get?" he repeated. Lily closed her eyes for a moment, praying for patience.

"It is more like what you will _not _get if you _cancel that date!_" she said with clenched teeth. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her. "Catch my drift, Potter?" she said in a menacing voice. James smirked at her, and Lily's stomach dropped when she saw that glint in his eye.

"Fine, Evans," he said softly. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about anything. I'll take care of it." Lily let out a sigh of relief and let go of his shirt.

"Thanks," she said. She brushed a few loose strands of her red hair around his ear and straightened his collar. "Okay, hair fine, sweater fine…alright you're ready." James rolled his eyes and Lily quickly hopped back into her seat just as Derek appeared at her side.

"Hey Potter," he said casually. Lily tried to hold her composure when he smiled at her.

"Hi Derek," she said a bit breathlessly. James kicked her sharply in the ankle and mouthed, "Act like a boy!" Lily nodded and cleared her throat. "I mean…uh, hey what's up?" she said gruffly. She saw James sigh and roll his eyes again. Apparently that wasn't how guys acted. _Hmm, _she thought. _I need to work on that. _

"Nothing much," replied Derek. "Ready for that quidditch game on Saturday?" Lily nodded slightly.

"Uh, sure..."

"We're this close to winning the house cup, so keep it up alright?" He flashed her another smile.

"Uh-huh…" Derek turned to James and bent down so that he was eye level with her.

"Hey Lily," he said softly. Lily fumed with jealousy, even thought he was saying that to a boy. _That should be me, _she thought sullenly. However, James didn't consider himself so lucky. He wrinkled his nose and drew back.

"Yeah, whatever," he mumbled. It was Lily's turn to kick him in the ankle. James turned to her angrily and she whispered, "Be nice!"

"Are you alright?" Derek asked. _That's so sweet of him to be worried! _thought Lily.

"Um, yeah," said James, forcing a smile. "I just…had too much to eat at breakfast. You know…stomach ache." He heard Lily groan next to him. _Shut up, Evans,_ he thought. _I'm flirting with a boy for you! Oh, I can't believe I just thought that! _"Um…so what's up?" Much to his disgust, Derek casually slipped an arm around his shoulder.

"Oh, nothing much," he said lightly. "It's more of what's _coming _up." He raised an eyebrow, and James almost gagged. "We're still on for Friday, right?" James was about to cancel when a sudden thought struck him. _This could be the ultimate payback for all the stuff Evans has done to me! Should I do it, or not? _Lily cleared her throat softly, trying to catch his attention. _The pros are getting Lily back in advance for everything she will do, and seeing her face if I say yes. I can make it the worst date of Derek's life. Cons: I have to go on a date with a boy. Then again, while I'm a girl, I might as well have a bit of fun to piss her off. _Lily cleared her throat again, louder this time, and when James looked her way, she gave him a threatening glare. But she was panicking on the inside. She should have known better than to trust him. She could easily see he was planning something and she didn't like the look of it. _Cancel it, _she silently pleaded. _Please, cancel it! _James smirked at her for a moment before turning to Derek.

"Of course, sweetheart," he said cheerfully. "Pick me up at seven?"

**A/N: **Would this be considered a cliffie? Don't forget to review on your way out! See ya next time! Also does anyone know what **MWPP **means? I've been dying to know for the longest time.

-Spirit


	3. James's Views on Divination

**A/N: **Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update, but I had a massive amount of tests that I had to study for, in fact, I should be doing that right now…oh well. Anyway, I think there's been some confusion about what which person does when they're in the other's body. Let me see if I can explain it better: If I say, "James's scratched his nose," then that means that he really scratched _lily's _nose, because he's in her body. I definitely don't mean that he reached out and scratched his real nose…that would be kinda weird.

Okay, now on to chapter three! There's a bit of a dilemma (don't worry, not too serious! Actually, that depends on how you look at it…!) for Lily at the very end, so tell me what you think! Enjoy

Chapter Three: James's Views on Divination

"Of course, sweetheart," James said cheerfully. "Pick me up at seven?" Lily made a cry of outrage and James swiftly pointed his wand over his shoulder, placing a silencing charm on her before she could ruin his plan. Derek didn't notice her mouthing furiously and shaking her head.

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of six-thirty," he said. "I have something sort of special planned and I want to take plenty of time. Is that alright?" James smiled at him.

"Of course," he said flirtatiously. "I can't wait." Derek stood up as Professor McGonagall entered the room.

"Great," he said. "I'll see you then." He bent down and kissed him gently on the cheek before taking his seat. James waved at him coquettishly, but when Derek wasn't looking he wiped his cheek. Lily leaped out of her seat and grabbed his shoulders.

"What did you do, Potter?" she mouthed. James grinned at her and leaned closer, cupping a hand around his ear.

"I'm sorry Potter, I didn't quite catch that. Try speaking louder."

"I'm going to kill you, Potter!" she mouthed. Professor McGonagall tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Potter," she said crisply. "If you don't mind, I would like to begin class. Would you take your seat?" Still seething and glaring at James, Lily plunked into her chair and crossed her arms. "Oh and Mr. Potter? Do you have that book I gave you last week? You are the only person who needs to turn it in." Lily tried to tell her that she had a silencing charm on her, but of course, since she could talk, McGonagall didn't understand. "Mr. Potter, stop fooling around and talk." Much to Lily's horror, James piped up.

"He's not kidding, Professor. You see, Potter has a terrible case of laryngitis. He can't speak a word." He cracked a smile and looked at Lily, who was mouthing very colorful words at the moment. Professor McGonagall looked at James for a moment, then at Lily, then back to James.

"Ms. Evans," she said firmly. "I do not believe that story for a moment. However, I would like a day of silence for once, and the absence of Mr. Potter's voice is exactly what we need. Okay, class. I'm coming around to collect your essays." Sirius started laughing and poked James in the back.

"You have to say, Prongs, Lily's pretty good." James smirked and sat back lazily in his seat while Lily crossed her arms and glared daggers at him.

"Yes, I am," he said haughtily. "Potter, don't forget to pass _your _essay up. Preferably with _your _name on it."

"Ms. Evans, your essay?" said McGonagall. James shrugged casually.

"Don't have it," he said carelessly. Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows and Kate and Parker looked at each other bewilderedly. Lily always did her homework, and if she didn't, she would have been extremely remorseful. This was not acting remorseful.

"And why not?" said McGonagall stonily.

"Didn't do it."

"I am surprised at you, Ms. Evans. I expected much more from you."

"Yeah well, stuff happens," James said gleefully. Lily clenched her teeth, trying not to lose her temper in front of a teacher. She decided she would wait until they were in the hallway to do that.

"You will take an incomplete, Evans" McGonagall said, marking something on her clipboard. She proceeded to go up the row, collecting the different rolls of parchment. Lily was reaching into James's and drew out the essay. Suddenly she got an idea. She tapped James on the shoulder.

"What?" he said. She held up the essay, and smiled. "Yeah, that's my essay. Turn it in." Lily nodded and grinned, acting as if she intended to do just that. Then she ripped it up. "What are you doing?" James exclaimed. "I worked on that for an hour and a half" Lily pretended as if she hadn't heard him and stuffed the pieces into her mouth, chewing slowly and deliberately while she stared at him. Finally she swallowed the wad and grinned at James. "I'm going to kill, you, _Potter!" _he hissed. "That was an Outstanding paper for sure!" Lily shrugged and turned to Professor McGonagall, who had appeared by her side ready to take her homework.

"Homework, Potter?" Lily pleasantly shook her head. "You don't have it?" Professor McGonagall said dryly. She just shook her head and made a mark by his name. "I don't even want to know why. Incomplete, Potter." Lily just nodded and waved at her. When she was gone, she turned to James and mouthed, "Payback." Needless to say, both Lily and James were not in the best of moods.

After Transfiguration, Lily grabbed James and slammed him against a wall.

"_Are you insane?" _she demanded angrily. Professor McGonagall had taken the silencing charm off her at the end of the class.

"Honestly, Evans, if you want me that badly we should really do it somewhere more private. I know this cozy little closet—"

"Shut up, Potter!" she hissed. "Why didn't you cancel that date with Derek like I told you to?" James swatted her hand away and began to walk to their next class.

"What are you talking about?" he asked her. Lily grabbed his arm and held him back, her eyes blazing.

"You _know _what I'm talking about! I clearly said to cancel. Do you not understand that term, Potter?"

"Oh," said James carelessly. "That."

"_That_, as you so eloquently call it, was something I've been looking forward to for a week!" James raised an eyebrow at her, pretending to think.

"Hmm…" he said. "I believe the term is payback." Lily sputtered angrily, too shocked to voice the stream of bad words that were circling in her head. "Besides," he continued. "It's just a date, not the end of the world."

"Maybe not to you," she snarled. "But to those of us who do not leap around from girl to girl like a lily pad, it is something important when a she gets asked out!"

"Well I would hope _you _wouldn't leap around from girl to girl Evans," he said cheekily.

"_You know what I mean!_"

"You told me to be nice to him," James reasoned innocently. Lily made furious movements with her hands that implied that she was desperately trying to restrain herself from strangling him on the spot. "Would you rather I tell him that he has rancid breath and that I would rather jump off of Gryffindor tower? 'Cause I could easily do that if you'd prefer."

"Yes!" James crossed his arms and lifted the corner of his mouth in a smirk. "I mean, no! Why couldn't you just cancel it like I told you?"

"Well, why couldn't you just turn my essay in like I told you?" he retorted.

"That's not the point, Potter!" Lily said furiously. "I just know that you did this for a reason. You're planning something aren't you? I swear, if you do something to ruin my reputation I'll—"

"You'll what?" he challenged. Lily paused for a moment to think, but couldn't think of anything bad enough.

"You'll just have to see," she said evasively. "And believe me, you don't want to know what I would do." She fixed a menacing glare on him, but James just snorted and rolled his eyes.

"I'm quaking in my shoes," he said sarcastically. Lily opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, James," said a voice. Irritated by being cut off in such an important argument, she whirled around and scowled at the person, who happened to be Remus.

"What do you want?" she snapped. Taken aback, Remus stepped backwards a few steps.

"What crawled up your butt and died?" he asked, feeling a bit offended. James stepped in front of Lily before she could say anything else, throwing her a sharp glare.

"Don't worry about it Remus," he said to him. "I did something he didn't like and he's just a tad upset about it." Lily opened her mouth angrily, but James cut her off again. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, did you?" He turned to Lily and looked at her threateningly.

"No," she mumbled. Remus waved his hand impatiently.

"Don't worry about it, Lily," he said. "I just came here to tell "O Cranky One" that he has class."

"Class?" Lily repeated dumbly. In the heated argument, she had forgotten that they had places to be. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. You know, that thing that you go to during the day? The reason you're here at Hogwarts?"

"You mean the women?" Lily asked dryly. Remus chuckled slightly.

"Besides that, yes. Look James, we have one minute to get to Muggle Studies, and if you're late again, I think Professor Winters will pop a vessel. Let's go!"

"You took Muggle Studies?" Lily asked James incredulously. Remus watched them curiously.

"Yeah well," said James, shrugging his shoulders. "It's an easy Outstanding." Remus grabbed Lily's arm and started to tug her down the corridor.

"Come _on_, James," he said urgently. "We have to go. _Now_."

"Alright, alright," Lily said, pulling out of his grasp. "I'm coming alright?" She turned to James and pointed a finger at him. "I'll deal with you later," she added in a low voice. Much to her frustration, James just smiled and waved.

"Oh, and Lily," added Remus. "I think Parker was looking for you. She said you need to get up to Divination." James pulled a face.

"Divination?" he repeated. "_Divination!" _

"Yes," Lily said impatiently. "Are you deaf? Now hurry up! Don't be late!"

"What do you care?" asked Remus, shooting him a suspicious look.

"I don't," Lily said quickly. Remus just gave her an "uh-huh" type of look. "Look, just go ahead of me and I'll be there in a minute, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said. "Just this time, when you skip class to make out with a girl, make sure you don't do it in the middle of the hallway. Save us and get a room next time will you?" He smiled and headed towards the classroom at the end of hallway. When he was gone and out of earshot, Lily turned back to James.

"You skipped class to make out with a girl?" she said angrily. "In the middle of the corridor?"

"I was on my way to class," James explained. "But you see, when a pretty girl stops you in the middle of the hallway, you can't miss the opportunity to get in…another type of lesson." Lily narrowed her eyes at him.

"That is so sick," she said, shaking her head. "You have to be the most perverted person ever to walk the planet."

"Well that's silly," James said, grinning at her. "Have you met every person on the planet?" Lily gave a cry of frustration and turned sharply on her heel, heading down the corridor to the classroom.

"We'll talk about this later," she called over her shoulder. "Meet me outside the Muggle Studies classroom after class, okay? And don't be late!" She disappeared into the classroom and James sighed and began the long journey up to the North Tower.

"Divination," he grumbled to himself. "Honestly! A bunch of fuzzy crap, the whole lot of it." He took his time climbing the steps, not caring if he was five minutes late or fifty. As he ambled around, he thought about the events that had taken place within the last twelve hours.

If anyone had ever told him that he would end up switching bodies with Lily Evans of all people, he would have taken them directly to St. Mungo's. And the fact that they both had to get along to change back did not make the situation any easier. Everyone knew that they couldn't stand each other, and it had been that way since day one when they met on the Hogwarts Express six years before.

FLASHBACK

Lily slid the last compartment door open, praying that she would find some room. All of the other compartments were full and she was tired of lugging her owl cage around. Much to her relief, she found that there were only four people inside.

"Excuse me," she said politely. "Can I sit here?" The four boys looked up from a card game they had been playing.

"I don't know," one of them said cockily. "Can you? 'Cause if your knees don't bend you might want to get that checked out." The boy threw his head back and laughed harder than necessary at his own joke, and the others just rolled their eyes at his stupidity. Lily bit her lip and tried not to look too embarrassed.

"Uh…" she stammered. "All of the others are full."

"It's okay," the second one said, who had sandy brown hair. He had spoken to her much more kindly than the other had. "There's room over here." He moved his bag over and gestured to the opposite seat. Lily smiled gratefully and made her way to the chair. She sat down and nervously folded her hands into her lap. Complete silence engulfed the compartment and she could feel them all staring at her.

"So," said one of them. "Do you have a name?" Lily started and looked up at the boy. His dark hair draped over forehead and his eyes twinkled mischievously under it.

"Oh," she said quickly. "Yeah." They all looked at her expectantly, and she looked down again.

"Do you want to tell us?" coaxed the one who asked. He looked like he was one the verge of laughing and it made Lily's cheeks redden even more.

"Oh," she said again sheepishly. "It's Lily. Lily Evans."

"Hey, Lily," he said. "My name's Sirius."

"I'm Remus." He smiled at Lily and she felt herself loosening up a bit.

"I'm Peter," said a small tubby boy who had been silent.

"Nice to meet you all," Lily said. Now that she knew most of them, she was feeling a bit more confident. She turned to the other boy who had spoken to her so rudely before and raised her eyebrows slightly. "And you are…?" she asked him stonily. He ran a hand through his hair and cracked a lopsided grin.

"I'm—" But before he could get his name out, Lily interrupted him.

"I don't care." The boy gaped at her incredulously; he was completely surprised that this new girl, who a minute ago had been too nervous to remember her to give her name, had outsmarted him. His three friends were thinking the same thing.

"Wow," laughed Sirius. "That's the first time I have ever seen him speechless, and I've known him since we were five!" James scowled at him, but still didn't say anything.

"His name is James by the way," said Remus.

"Usually, he's the one who says stuff to shut people up," said Peter.

"I think you've met your match, James," Sirius told him, grinning like a maniac.

END OF FLASHBACK

Indeed he had. James chuckled softly to himself as he made his way over to the ladder. Many spats had followed that day. He was the chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team, he was top in most of his classes, and he had the attention of almost every girl in the school, yet nothing between them had changed. Lily continued to get even when he pranked her and yell at him on regular bases. None of his disarming tactics worked on her, and he couldn't figure out why. In the third year when she yelled at him for turning her hair green, he winked at her as an attempt to shut her up, but she just threatened to rip his eye out. In fourth when he pulled her chair out from under her he rubbed her hip to keep her from getting him back and she kneed him so hard that he winced at the mere memory of the pain.

Not that it bothered him.

In fact, it was quite hilarious to watch her face turn pink when she was angry. It clashed horribly with her hair. James finally reached the door and climbed through. Professor Veronique stuttered to a stop and turned to him angrily. James had it on very good authority that she had changed her name from Dorothy. Really, the things you could do with a truth serum, invisibility cloak, and a memory charm.

"Ms. Evans," she said firmly. "Care to tell us why you are late?" James shook his head and strode to a vacant seat acting like he owned the place.

"You're the divination teacher," he said casually as he leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "Isn't that _your_ job?" The class became deadly silent. Normally, he would keep such a comment to himself, but he was in Lily's body so what did he care? Besides, it was his job to make her life hell and he was just living up to it. He smirked when he imagined what Lily's face would look like if she had heard him say that. Behind him, Parker and Kate exchanged bewildered looks. They knew perfectly well that Lily would rather cut out her tongue than be disrespectful to a teacher.

What they did not know was that this was James Potter.

Professor Veronique raised her heavily penciled eyebrows. "Excuse me?" she asked in a low voice. "Ms. Evans, I am going to ignore that only because Mars has crossed the path of Pluto, which means that I must keep my temper until it has passed. Now that you have graced us with your presence, we can go back to learning about the three crystals of shiva."

"Don't let me stop you," said James cheerily. Professor Veronique glared at him for a few moments before turning back to the class.

"As I was saying," she said, talking in a mystical type of tone. "When placed in the correct formation under water, an image of what is to come in the future will appear in on the surface. This has been in practice for many thousands of years. I myself have been able to—to—" She stuttered to a stop as she heard a loud clipping noise. She scanned around the room and found that it was coming from James. He had conjured up a pair of clippers and was cutting his nails, completely oblivious to the lesson. "Ms. Evans," said Professor Veronique sharply. James looked up at her and smiled.

"Yes Professor?" he said.

"Do you feel the need to cut your nails during my class?"

"Well," he said merrily. "Normally I wouldn't." He pulled a serious expression and lowered his voice. "But you see, Venus is in alignment with Jupiter. And it tells me that if I don't do it right now, everything as we know it will come to an end. At least, my perfect manicure will." With that said, he continued clipping. Many students were trying to contain their laughter, while others were just staring in shock at what had taken place.

"Is she crazy?" Parker whispered to Kate. "What is she thinking?"

"I don't think she is," Kate said back, her eyes glued on Lily.

"Well, Ms. Evans," said Professor Veronique stiffly. "If that is true, I suppose you did the star gazing homework that was assigned over the weekend? Tell us, what did you see?" James inspected his newly filed nails. _Hm, _he thought. _Evans really needs to touch up this nail polish. It's beginning to look quite tacky._ "Ms. Evans?" said the professor again.

"I'm sorry," he said without looking up. "Did you say something?" Professor Veronique gripped her desk until her knuckles turned pale and heaved a sigh.

"Would you like to tell us what you saw in the stars?" she said, sounding considerably less mystical.

"Well," James said slowly. "I saw quite a bit of Uranus. And let me tell you, it is not a pretty sight." There was a snort from the right and most of the class was doing their best to keep straight faces. Rowan Wilson had stuffed the sleeve of his sweater into his mouth and was beginning to turn red from the suppressed laughter that was stuck in his throat.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Ms. Evans, for your cheek." said Professor Veronique said angrily. James just shrugged carelessly.

"That sucks." Professor Veronique heaved a breath through her nose and tried to remain calm.

"Alright class," she said. "I want you to break up into groups and try the crystals of shiva. Write down what appears in the surface of the water." She waved her hand and bowls of water appeared on the desks along with the crystals. Then she disappeared into her office, leaving the class alone.

"What's the matter with you?" demanded Parker as she came up to James's desk. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you can get into? You are so lucky that the planets told her not to lose her temper." James snorted.

"Yeah, whatever," James said. He started to place the stones in the water. "If that old bat has so much as a dream, I would be surprised."

"Lily," said Kate. "As true as that may be, could you keep the comments to yourself? You are going to lose us hundreds of points if you don't shut up!"

"Come on, I have to have some fun if I'm stuck here. I mean, why did she take divination anyway? It's just a bunch of guesses—"

"Lily," interrupted Kate.

"—and that pathetic excuse for a professor is nothing more than a wannabe who walked face first into a paint pallet which she has the nerve—"

"Um…Lily, you might want to—"

"—to call make up! _I_ would look better with make up on."

"Lily would you—!"

"And divination, please! It's all just acting. 'Ooh, Venus is aligned with Pluto so now we must all be in harmony.' Whoo-hoo."

"_Lily!" _said Kate and Parker together. James snapped his head up and finally paid attention.

"What?" They both pointed at something behind him looking a bit fearful, and James turned around. _Oh, _he thought. _Look at that. _Professor Veronique had been standing behind him the entire time he was talking about his views on Divination and she was not happy. She placed her hands on her hips and set her mouth into a grip line.

"So," she said.

"Hello, Professor," James said as if he was greeting her a good morning. Technically it wasn't him who was in trouble, so why should he be worried?

"So," she said again. "That is what you truly think of my class."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Detention, Ms. Evans," she said sharply. "For disrespecting Divination."

"Let me get this straight," James said slowly. "You're giving me a detention just for not liking Divination? Well, that's being reasonable. I ask you, is there no justice in the world?" Professor Veronique's eyes widened and she pointed furiously to the ladder.

"Out, Ms. Evans," she said huffily. "If you cannot respect Divination, I want you out of my classroom until you can. Out!"

"Does this mean I don't get to study Uranus a bit further?"

"_OUT!"_ James got to his feet and grabbed the bag, not bothering to hide the grin that was slowly spreading on his face. He waved to the class cheerily and descended the ladder. _Well_, he thought. _At least I'm out of there. Evans is going to want to kill me since I landed her in detention. Excellent. _James laughed to himself and checked his watch. He had about twenty minutes until class was over and since he got kicked out, he had a free period. He decided to head down to the kitchens. All that learning had made him feel a bit hungry.

The minute Muggle Studies was over, Lily bolted out of the classroom where she impatiently waited for James. In all honesty, she had found Muggle Studies quite boring and inaccurate. For instance, Professor Harebroom had constantly mispronounced "telephone", calling it the "fellatone." When Lily had tried to correct him, she was given a lecture on how the professor was supposed to teach the students, not the other way around.

Lily checked the clock. Herbology started in five minutes and James was no where to be seen. She tapped her foot nervously, paying no attention to the girls who were waving and giggling as they passed. Throughout the entire lesson, Lily worried about what James was doing in Divination. She knew he hated it, and knowing him he would probably do something awful. Lily groaned just thinking about it. Just then, a hand waving in her face interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey Prongs…prongs…Are you there?" Lily snapped out of it and swatted Sirius's hand away.

"Why do you call him that?" she asked abruptly. Sirius looked at her blankly.

"What?"

"Why do you call him that? What does it mean?"

"Why do I call who that?"

"I mean me. Why do you call me that?" Sirius stared at her for a moment before placing his hand on her forehead.

"Are you feeling alright, James?" he asked. "Do you need to go to the Infirmary?" Lily sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. "I'm just not…feeling myself today."

"Alright, then. Hey, guess what happened?"

"What?"

"Two girls just had a cat fight over me!" Lily whipped her head around and stared at him.

"What?" she asked, horrified.

"I know!" exclaimed Sirius, mistaking her disgust for awe. "Isn't it great? You see, Miranda—you know, that fifth year Hufflepuff—came up to me and asked me out. And so I said okay, but then Sarah from Ravenclaw was right next to her and said that she had me for Friday night and told her to sod off. So then Miranda told her to mind her own business. Sarah got so pissed that she turned Miranda's hair grey and then Sarah shot slime out of her wand and it completely covered Miranda! It would have gotten so much worse if I hadn't stepped in between them. And let me tell you buddy, being sandwiched between two girls is a beautiful thing." Lily's jaw dropped open.

"That's disgusting!" she cried. "Sirius, those two girls are sisters!"

"They are?" he asked. He looked concerned for a moment. "Then Sarah might not like the fact that I agreed to meet Miranda after my date with her. Oh, well. I'm sure they have more siblings at home. It's not like it'll ruin some special bond." Lily sputtered angrily. She could not believe that he could be so pig-headed. _This is why I don't fall for the Marauders_, she thought indignantly. Sirius glanced at her and laughed at the expression on her face. "Don't worry, Prongs. I'm sure they still like you. Let's see, that means I have Sarah and Miranda for Friday, Lindsey for Saturday, Alicia for Monday, Ashleigh for Tuesday, Wendy on Thursday…Oh crap, I forgot to schedule a girl for next Wednesday!"

"Are you telling me," said Lily slowly. "That you have a girl for every day of the week?"

"Yeah," said Sirius carelessly. "How else could I get through them all?" Speechless, Lily watched as he pulled out a long piece of parchment and a quill. "Okay," he said, consulting the list. "I can't ask Penny. I went out with her two weeks ago and I have to wait at least two months to see her again. I can't ask Yolanda, I saw her last Monday…hmmm, decisions, decisions. Oh, Tanya's name doesn't have a check by it. I'll have to do something about that. Oh, there she is now! Hey Tanya!" A tall girl with two blond braids turned around and gasped when she saw Sirius.

"Um…hi…" she stammered. Sirius walked up to her and put his arm around her waist. Lily thought that if he wasn't holding her up, Tanya would have collapsed on the spot.

"Hey," replied Sirius casually. "Listen, are you free next Wednesday?"

"If I'm not I can get free," she said quickly. Sirius flashed her a hundred watt smile.

"That's great," he said flirtatiously. "Do you want to do something we me that night. There's supposed to be a meteor shower that night. I think we could get a great view in the Astronomy Tower, and I could get a great view of the stars in your eyes." Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. That had to be the lamest pick-up line she had ever heard. This girl would have to be a complete idiot to fall for that.

"Really?" she squealed." I would love that!"

Apparently she was.

"Alright then, I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Uh-huh…"

"See you then," Sirius said. The girl just nodded faintly and shuffled her feet to her next class, still in a daze over what had just happened. When she was gone, Sirius pulled out the list again and checked her name off.

"One down, about a hundred to go."

"That is so wrong," Lily stated, shaking her head. "That has to be the corniest crap I have ever heard." Sirius shrugged.

"Hey, it works."

"Why, I will never know." Sirius laughed as he checked to the clock.

"We'd better go, James. Herbology starts in about a minute."

"You go along," she told him. "I'm waiting for someone." Sirius slung his book bag over his shoulder.

"Alright," he said. "Just this time when you snog a girl, get a closet."

"Why do people keep telling me that? Does it happen often or something?"

"Yeah," snorted Sirius. "As often as every day. I'll see you later." As Lily watched his retreating back, she thought to herself, _Potter's more disgusting than I thought. _She groaned as she looked at the clock again. It looked like she was going to be late for Herbology. Lily waited about five more minutes before she decide that she was leaving. She made her way to the greenhouse, fuming that James kept her waiting. When she opened the door, she felt like she was about to burst with anger.

There James sat, taking notes as Professor Ivy talked. When he caught sight of her, he waved cheerfully. Lily scowled at him and gripped the doorknob to keep from running over there and hexing him right on the spot.

"Mr. Potter," said Professor Oaks. "Is there a reason you are late?"

"Sorry, Professor," Lily said grimly, her gaze still fixated on James. "I was held up."

"Well, do not hold up the class any longer. Please take your seat, and five points from Gryffindor for being tardy."

"Yes, Professor." Lily sullenly walked over to the vacant seat next to James and took out a parchment and quill. "Where were you?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth. "I told you to meet me outside of the Muggle Studies classroom!"

"Did you miss me, darling?" James drawled haughtily. Lily turned her head angrily to see him smirking at her. She hated it when he did that, and it did nothing to improve her mood.

"Don't you _darling _me, Potter," she said dangerously. "I am about this close to—" Suddenly she stopped cold and her eyes widened. "Oh bugger," she mumbled.

"What is it?" James queried. Lily turned to him fearfully.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

**a/n: **Dun, dun, dun…Okay, I'll TRY to update sooner than I did last time. Of course, reviews _just _

might speed the process along…wink, wink!

Until later,

Spirit


	4. The Boys' Bathroom

**a/n: YAAAAAY! I finally know how to make my bolds, italics, and everything else show up! Anyway, a big thanks for chapter three reviewers. On to Chapter four. This was actually really fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to drop a review on the way out!**

Chapter Four: The Boys' Bathroom

James raised his eyebrows in amusement. This should be interesting. He knew Lily would be freaking out, which is why he decided to have some fun.

"Just go, then," he said calmly. Lily scowled at him and began to rock slightly in her seat.

"It's not that simple, Potter," she snapped.

"Sure it is," reasoned James, stifling a snicker. "All you have to do is pull down your pants and—"

"That's not what I mean! How am I supposed to go?"

"Well you're a boy now, so you'll just have to go the manly way."

"I'll do nothing of the sort," she said briskly. "Potter, I have no desire whatsoever to see a boy's—a boy's—" Lily stammered to a stop, blushing furiously. James grinned at her and crossed his arms.

"Continue," he said.

"—bathroom," she finished lamely. James chuckled softly.

"You know, most girls in this school would be just dying to see a boy's _bathroom_. If I were you, I would use the present situation to your advantage." James paused and looked thoughtful. "Never mind." Lily pulled a face and scooted her chair from him.

"Potter," she told him. "You are a sick, sick bastard. I am not most girls, and I am not going to use the boy's bathroom."

"You can't just hold it all day."

"I'll hold it all week if I have to," she said. "I'll hold it until I'm back in my own body."

"Then you might have a problem." Lily bit her lip and tried to cross her legs. Then she shifted again and crossed her feet. Nothing was working. As much as she hated to admit it, James was right. She couldn't hold it all day. In fact, she would be lucky enough to make it to the next hour.

"Just _go_ if you're that uncomfortable," said James as he watched her squirm.

"No," Lily said stubbornly. "I'm fine."

"Sure, you are," he said skeptically.

"I am!" James suddenly got an idea. He picked up a nearby watering can and poured it slowly into a pot, making sure that Lily saw.

"How 'bout now?" he said, grinning evilly at her. Lily eyed it carefully and shifted in her seat, bringing her legs closer together. "Still calm?"

"Yes," she said, trying to sound confident. But James caught that note of panic rising in her voice.

"How about…" He flicked his wand and made the water come out faster and louder. "…now?" Lily bit her lip and began to tap her foot nervously.

"I'm fine," she said tensely. James set the can down and squeezed her in the side, which he knew was his most ticklish spot. Lily gave a jolt and winced slightly through a snort of laughter.

"Still alright?" Lily slapped his hand away, finally fed up with him.

"I'M O-BLOODY-KAY!" she shouted angrily. Complete silence followed and Lily realized that every head in the room was turned her way. James quickly buried his head in his arms to muffle the laughter that was erupting from his mouth. Lily drew a shaky breath and slid lower in her seat as Professor Oaks stared at her.

"Mr. Potter," she said sternly. "Is there something wrong?"

"No professor," Lily mumbled, wishing she could disappear on the spot.

"Then tell me, what is the answer to the question?" Lily grimaced and racked her brain to try and remember what Professor Oaks had been saying while she was talking to James.

"Um…leaves?" she said weakly. Her answer was followed by laughter from her classmates.

"Leaves," repeated Oaks stonily. "You think that _leaves_ are one of the main types of wood that is used to make your wands? Well I must say, I have never heard an answer such as that. Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. Five for your inappropriate outburst and five for not paying attention." There was a collective groan from the rest of the Gryffindors and Lily blushed. She had now gotten fifteen points taken away in only ten minutes. This was certainly not prefect behavior.

"Sorry," she muttered. Professor Oaks returned to her lesson, calling on a Hufflepuff to give answer what Lily could not. "Thanks a lot, Potter," she said angrily under her breath. James brought his head out of his arms, wiping the tears of laughing from his eyes.

"I was just concerned for your well-being," he said gleefully. "No need to get emotional."

Lily sighed and sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch, exhausted. She had been holding her bladder ever since herbology and it was becoming more and more difficult by the moment. She couldn't keep still and was constantly moving around in her seat. James had continued to bug her about just gritting her teeth and going, but she simply refused to. She knew that she would have to go eventually, but she wanted to think of an alternative way before she did. So far, nothing came up.

"James, are you okay?" asked Kate as she shoveled food into her mouth. Lily looked at her and tried to stop rocking back and forth.

"Uh-huh," she said quickly. "I'm okay, I just have…"

"Bladder issues," finished James. Lily glared at him and served herself some chicken.

"No I don't, I just don't feel like myself today."

"Yeah," said Parker. "I think Lily's feeling the same way." Lily looked at her sharply.

"Why do you say that?" she asked, somewhat worriedly. "What did she do?"

"It's more like what she _said_," said Kate, giving James a look. Lily slowly looked at him and James looked down at his plate, becoming very occupied with his vegetables.

"What did she say?" Lily asked wearily, her eyes never leaving James.

"Well," said Parker. "Where should we start?"

"How about the part where Lily told Professor Veronique that she should be able to tell her where she had been when she walked in late?" Lily's eyes widened in horror.

"You were late?" she asked James. He looked at her and gave her a guilty smile.

"Just a bit," he said lightly, bringing his index finger and thumb about a millimeter apart.

"Then there was the part where she started to clip her nails, and told her that she had studied her anus. I mean, Uranus," she corrected hastily. Lily made a cry of outrage, but couldn't say anything more than that. James nodded slightly and prepared himself in case he had to do some fast running.

"Oh and that's not the best part," said Parker.

"There's more?" Lily said faintly.

"Oh yeah," said Kate. "Then, she started saying how much she hated divination along with a few other things about Professor Veronique, and it turned out she was right behind her the entire time. Lily got kicked out class and given a detention."

"WHAT!" Lily was no longer speechless and on her feet, leering at James over the table.

"Did I forget to mention that?" he asked delicately.

"What is the matter with you?" she hissed. "I am a prefect, and you got me detention? Again? Plus you got kicked out of class!" The others looked at her curiously,

"Why do you care, James?" asked Peter. "If anything you would be delighted."

"Yeah, Potter," taunted James, grinning slightly. "Why do you care? It's only one detention. Boo-freakin'-hoo. It's not like the end of the world or something." Lily narrowed her eyes at him and got to her feet.

"I need to talk to you," she said acidly. "Right now." James took a bite of his potatoes.

"Does it have to be right this second?" he asked lazily. "I'm eating." Lily grabbed his wrist and pulled him off the bench.

"So take it to go," she said icily. Before he was dragged out of the great hall, James grabbed his bag and a brownie and winked at the others who were left staring after them in shock.

"Is it me," said Peter, breaking the silence. "Or is there something weird going on?"

"No," Remus said slowly. "There is definitely something wrong. Lily's suddenly become really carefree, and James is really nervous about everything."

"What do you think is going on?" Sirius asked as he helped himself to chocolate pudding. "I mean, it's really weird. They're still arguing but its almost like James is doing what Lily would do and Lily's doing what James would do."

"Kind of like they've switched personalities," laughed Kate.

"They're probably just feeling a bit…odd," reasoned Parker. "James is probably feeling under pressure or something."

"And Lily's probably got PMS," said Remus, laughing along with Sirius and Peter. Parker and Kate exchanged angry looks.

"Why is it that whenever a girl shows emotion, guys relate it to PMS?" asked Parker.

"Because it always is," said Peter. "Every once in a while my sister Catherine gets really moody, snapping at anyone who says anything. Plus, she always cries when she hears this one song by The Flames."

"Did you ever think that maybe the words just touch her?"

"It's a child lullaby about cats." Remus and Sirius laughed harder.

"You know, just because boys can't express their emotions doesn't mean that we overreact," Kate said.

"Yes it does," the boys said in unison.

"Oh, we forgot," Parker said sourly. "You just walk around pretending like nothing's wrong, and then once the emotional level goes higher than a millimeter, you leave the room."

"Of course," said Remus as if it was nothing to be ashamed of. "All the crying, yelling, and snapping you girls do is quite overwhelming."

"I'll never know how you can handle all three at once," said Sirius. "If I did that, I would probably explode."

"That's why they only act that way once a month," said Peter, as if he knew everything. "If they did any more than that, they probably would too." Parker and Kate just rolled their eyes and continued eating, knowing that boys would never understand the true meaning of PMS.

It's a good thing that Remus, Peter, and Sirius weren't in the empty classroom down the hall because there, the emotional level was much higher than a millimeter. James was leaning against a desk while he watched Lily pace back and forth with a bored expression on his face.

"First, you make us switch bodies. Then, you ruin the date with someone who I have liked for months. Now, you land me in detention and get me kicked out of class! Were you born to make my life hell?" ranted Lily. "I mean really, why can't you just be reasonable and make things easier for me?"

"Where's the fun in that?" James asked. "Brownie?" He held the brownie up and smirked at her. Lily made a growling noise in her throat and strode up to him, grabbed the brownie and hurled it at the wall, making it splatter and leave a nasty stain. James looked at it for second, then back at Lily. "You know," he said, grinning at her. "You've got a great arm, Evans. Ever think of trying out for the quidditch team? I'd bet you'd make a great beater." Lily scowled at him and grabbed his collar, pulling him close to her.

"I'm about to become an _excellent _beater, Potter, _using_ _your head for practice!_"

"Whoa," he said, carefully easing out of her grip. "I think we are all under a bit of stress here. Take nice, slow, breaths Evans. It will help with your anger, I swear. Think cheery thoughts."

"Like your head on a plate?" she said coldly.

"I was thinking more along the lines of flowers," he continued happily, much to her annoyance. "Pretty sunsets, happy faces, fresh baked cookies…me," he added haughtily.

"Would you shut up?" Lily snapped irritably. "God, listen to yourself." She sat down in a chair and shifted uncomfortably. "And I still haven't solved my problem yet," she grumbled. "I have to go really bad."

"So go, then," James said for the millionth time. Lily rolled her eyes, concentrating too hard on holding her bladder to yell at him.

"It isn't that easy!" she said. "You should be protesting rather then telling me to go. "James shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

"Why? I've got nothing to hide." Lily's eyes widened and she sputtered angrily.

"Oh really?" she said, her voice getting gradually louder. "What about your—your…" James raised his eyebrows and grinned at her. "Oh, stop that! It's starting to annoy me. Really, Potter, I'm serious. I need to do something to solve this problem. I tried to go to Dumbledore but he wasn't in his office all day." She paused, considering what she was about to say next. _Oh who cares, _she thought. _I'm desperate. _"I need your help. Please?" she added in a small voice.

"Oh, I don't know," James said casually. "I find this all quite amusing. Why stop the fun now?"

"Can't I just do it the normal way?" she said, ignoring his comment. "You know, sit down?" James crossed his arms and leaned lazily against the wall.

"It doesn't exactly work that way, Evans," he said plainly.

"But why?" she whined childishly.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Lily huffed and rose to her feet again.

"Alright," she said heavily. "I think I thought of something. I really need to go, so I'll just…go and you modify my memory each time, okay? You know, so I'll forget _everything_ about it except that I went, alright?" James rolled his eyes.

"Don't you think that's just a bunch of trouble?"

"No!"

"And why can't you do it?" he added stubbornly. "You know how I am at charms."

"I can't modify my own memory Potter," she said tensely. "If you paid attention in Charms once in a while you would know. I'll just have to…" She gave a slight shudder and pulled a face. "…trust you."

"Alright," James said, shrugging his shoulders. "Just remember, this was your idea entirely. Therefore I cannot be blamed when I erase everything in your memory that goes back to age five." Lily was quiet for a moment as she contemplated her choices. She crossed her ankles a few times before rolling her eyes.

"Oh, screw it, I'll just have to take that chance. Now, c'mon! I don't think I can hold it much longer." She jumped to her feet and headed out the door, James purposely dallying behind her.

Lily rolled her eyes again and grabbed his wrist, pulling him to the bathroom.

"Just come on!" The hurried along the corridor until Lily stopped him before the girls' bathroom. She was about to go in when James grabbed the back of her sweater, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?" she said impatiently.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Lily sighed and crossed her ankles, trying to hold her bladder for a few more minutes.

"I thought we covered this, Potter. I-am-going-to-the-bathroom," she said, as if speaking to a toddler. "Now that we've cleared up that bit of information, I'll be right back." She started to open the door, but James jerked her back again. "What _now_?" she said exasperatedly.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered. "You can't go in there! I'm a boy! _You're _a boy! What would it look like if you walked into the _girls' _bathroom in _my_ body?" Lily's face changed from anger to horror.

"You mean, I have to actually go in the _boys'_ bathroom?" she said in a hushed voice. James sighed and shook his head.

"Look, if you're going to take a piss in a manly way, you might as well go all the way and do it in the boys' bathroom." Lily groaned and looked at the door of the boys' bathroom. James watched her as she thought about her situation. It was clear that she couldn't hold it any longer, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before she gave in. _Three...two…one_…

"Oh, fine," she moaned. James smirked at her and gave her a pat on the back.

"The sooner you go in, the sooner it will be done," he said.

Lily turned on her heel to face the entrance of the bathroom and took a deep breath, as if preparing to go into battle on the front line.

"Alright," she apprehensively. "Here I go."

But her feet didn't move.

She screwed up her eyes and took a small step, then another. James sighed and rolled his eyes. At the rate she was walking, it would take her just a century to get in there, and another one to get out.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," he said briskly. "Suck it up and be a man." He walked behind Lily and gave her a strong push straight into the dreaded room. Lily gave a frightened squeal as the door opened and she disappeared behind it. As the door closed, he heard her yell, "POTTER, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" James just laughed as he slid down against the wall and drew a book from the bag. Knowing Lily, it was going to be a long wait.

**a/n: and there you have it! This time, I'll try to update much sooner. Note the word TRY. Reviews always help…**

**Until next time,**

**Spirit**


	5. Oblitherating, Deals, and a Joke InBetwe...

**A/N: Hey everyone! I am so happy that people like this story so far. It always cheers me up to see that number. I'm doing this in class right now, so I can't really take the time to say too much, plus I think you want to know what happens to Lily! **

**On to Chapter Five!**

Chapter Five: Oblitherating, Deals, and A Joke In-Between 

For the fifth time in three minutes, James sighed and checked his watch. It had been half an hour since Lily had walked into the bathroom. He had grown bored with his book long ago, he was hungry, and because of that he was feeling cranky. Casting his book aside, James stood to his feet and pounded his fist on the door.

"EVANS!" he shouted. "EVANS! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE _NOW_!"

No reply.

"COME ON, IT CAN'T BE THAT BAD!"

Still nothing. Students passing by were beginning to stare at him.

"JUST DO YOUR DAMN BUSINESS, IT ISNT THAT HARD!" James turned around and saw and saw group of third year girls looking at him curiously. "What do you want?" he snapped. "Put your eyes back into your head and clear off!" The girls started and looked at him fearfully, not needing to be told again to keep moving. James sighed and turned around in time to hear an annoyed voice behind the bathroom door.

"That was really rude, Potter! I would never have told younger kids to _clear off_. You really need to work on that!" James rolled his eyes.

"It's also really rude to leave me standing out here for _half and hour_! Would you just pull down the pants and get it over with? We have something called classes you know, which happen to start in about fifteen minutes, and I HAVEN'T EATEN YET!" he roared. Lily finally emerged from the bathroom, and placed her hands on her hips.

"Do you think with your stomach or something? You should have just grabbed something to go like I told you," she said furiously. James scowled at her and angrily smacked her hands away from her waist.

"How many times do I have to tell you to _quit doing that_? When have you ever seen a sixteen year old boy stand like that? Or any boy, for that matter?"

"Marcus Thimble," she said automatically.

"Well, he doesn't count," James said exasperatedly. "He went to the Yule Ball with Oscar Weston and that pretty much cleared things up. From what I hear they're thinking of buying a flat together once they graduate." Lily's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, rumor has it that they want to adopt a kid and…look, that isn't the point, Evans!" he said, getting back on track. "What took you so long in there? I thought you said you only had to take a piss." Lily blushed a bit and studied at her shoes.

"I did," she mumbled.

"So what took so long?" he demanded again. "You should have just been in and out. Unzip, do your business, zip and you're done!" Lily snapped her head up, her eyes blazing in fury. For once, James could see why people didn't like to get him upset; even he was beginning to lean away from her when he took a look at the anger reflecting in _his_ eyes.

"Look," she said in a dangerously low voice. "It's not just 'in and out', Potter. I spent about fifteen minutes trying to convince myself to go, and another fifteen washing my hands. So modify my damn memory before it's etched in there forever!" James chuckled softly and began to walk towards the Great Hall.

"Well, well, well," he said gleefully. "I guess you've seen it all now, eh Evans? I suppose the others will be just attacking you with details when we get back in out bodies." Lily threw him a revolted look and halted him by grabbing his arm.

"That's disgusting!" she cried. "And for your information, I didn't _look_, Potter. I closed my eyes. I'm not perverted, unlike some particular person standing right next to me. Now, for the last time, modify my memory, dammit!"

"Alright, alright! Okay, how did the spell go again?"

"It's very simple, Potter. All you have to say, is _Obliviate. _Got that?"

"Oblitherate, got it."

"_No! _Not oblitherate, you idiot! _Obliviate_!" James smirked at her and twirled his wand in his fingers idly.

"Impatience gets you no where, Evans," he said. "I suggest you be nice to me before I _accidentally_ erase too much." Lily closed her eyes for a moment and counted to ten, praying for an ounce of patience that she needed desperately. When she opened them, she grit her teeth firmly together and glared at James.

"Okay," she said slowly. "Repeat after me, Potter. O—"

"O," he repeated.

"-Bliv-"

"Bliv."

"-iate."

"Iate."

"Obliviate."

"Oblitherate," he said. Lily threw her hands up in frustration and stormed into the Great Hall, with James grinning like a maniac as he followed her.

"You are impossible!" she raged. "You know what? Forget it, just forget it! Knowing you, you'll end up giving me amnesia for life. So I'll just modify your memory every time you…go and everything will be great."

"Wait," protested James as he hitched the bag over his shoulder. "Why do I have to have my memory modified and you don't?"

"You know what?" Lily said, just slightly frantic. "I can't deal with this right now. I can't deal with _you _right now. So I am going to go about my school day like everything is completely normal. I am going act like you don't exist!" She turned on her heel sharply and began to walk briskly to class. Much to her disgust, James was by her side in a flash.

"'Fraid you can't," he said, unsympathetically. "I think it's a bit late for that, don't you think? I mean, you in my body, me in yours…that is just the antithesis of normal."

"I'm ignoring you," Lily said in a testy voice, not stopping once.

"You know," James continued, fingering the long strand of hair that was falling in his face. "This hair is ridiculously long and it's constantly getting in my way. I think I should cut it, don't you? I'm thinking chin length. I'm sure it would be quite fetching." Lily faltered slightly in step, but she still didn't halt.

"You're bluffing," she said, turning to look at him. She sounded much more confident then she felt. Deep down, she knew that James Potter never bluffed. James raised an eyebrow at her.

"Am I?" he said, slightly amused. "Want to try me? 'Cause if you do I'm sure I could show up tomorrow with a shorter style. I'm rather fond of the James Potter look. I hear it's in this season." Stopping right before they entered the classroom, Lily whirled around and pointed a finger at him.

"Don't you dare," she threatened quietly. "Touch a strand on that head, Potter. If you do, I'll cut your hair so short that hair on your arms will be considered a flowing mane." James shrugged carelessly as he pushed passed her.

"Go ahead and try," he said nonchalantly. "You'll be lucky if you can even get that far. It always grows back."

"Then I'll just gel it down so it matches Malfoy's," she shot back. James laughed as he slid into his seat.

"You're welcome to have a go," he replied. "If you can get two strands to even lay in the same direction, I'll personally award you with the Order of Merlin, First Class." Lily opened her mouth to say something back, but the professor entered the classroom. She scowled at James when he threw her a triumphant look and pulled out her notes begrudgingly while mentally calling James every terrible name she could think of.

Later that evening Lily sank into a chair in the Common Room, completely worn out. An hour ago, she had tried to prevent James from going to the bathroom by putting a full body bind on him. It would have worked as well, if McGonagall hadn't come up to them. James had put on an impeccable act and imitated her to say that Lily was trying to make him have an accident. In result, Lily had gotten ten points taken away from Gryffindor. With McGonagall standing nearby making sure she hadn't tried anything else, she had no choice but to watch James walked into the girls bathroom ("I go proudly where no man has gone before," he had said). She nervously waited for him to come out and when he did, he said the one thing she would not have expected: "How come you get a couch?" Lily had tried to modify his memory, but James had said loudly, "Potter, if try to modify my memory, I'll kill you. You'll end up erasing everything!" McGonagall had overheard and ordered them to stay away from each other for the rest of the evening.

Although she would never admit this aloud, being James was not easy. Whenever she walked to her next class, she couldn't help notice groups of girls giggle as she passed them by; no matter what she would do to get them go away, they still thought James Potter was the greatest. In addition to the Chelsea problem that had occurred that morning, two more had followed. James had not been a help either.

"You're James Potter now," he had chuckled. "Deal with it." That had been something Lily would have said if she had been back in her own body.

But she wasn't.

And for that reason, she was in a bad mood. A _very _bad mood.

It only got worse when James bounded down the stairs and plopped beside her in a nearby couch. Lily glanced up at him and scowled slightly, letting out a huge sigh.

"Why are you down here?" she asked. "You're supposed to be doing homework."

"I finished," James said simply. Lily looked at the clock, then back at him, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth or not.

"You can't have," she said. "We just got back up here an hour ago. It usually takes me at least two." James laughed and leaned back into the chair, grabbing a blanket and covering himself with it.

"Just another thing I'm better at than you. Remind me to add that to the list." Lily rolled her eyes and pulled out her textbooks. _I should have expected an answer like that_, she though sourly. _I set myself up for that one. _

She was just about to get out her homework when she felt an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey James," said a girlish voice. Lily rolled her eyes and turned to face Valerie Thompson who was flirtatiously running her fingers through her hair. James's eyebrows shot up and he lay down on the couch, making himself more comfortable.

"This should be interesting," he said softly.

"Who are you?" Lily asked rudely, ignoring his comment. If Valerie had been the first person to come up to her, maybe she would have had more patience. But she wasn't, and Lily abandoned all attempts to be nice long ago. "I'm trying to do some homework here, so if you would be so kind as to make it quick, I would appreciate it." Valerie looked a bit startled, but continued to smile at her.

"I just wanted to say hi," she said. Lily turned back to her text book.

"Hi," she grunted. "Now go away." Valerie threw her head back and laughed loudly, much harder than necessary. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw James wince and rotate his finger a few times in his ear.

"Oh James, you are such a kidder! Listen, I was thinking about our date this Friday." Lily's head snapped up from her book and her eyes widened in horror.

"Our _what_?" she asked disbelievingly.

"She said that you had a date Evans," James cut in, smirking at her widely. "You know, that's when two people go out to dinner, perhaps have kiss or two." Lily shot him a dirty look before looking back at Valerie.

"Exactly," said Valerie, smiling at him. "Listen James," she said, turning back to Lily. "I had an idea. Since I'm your girlfriend now I thought we should make Friday nights a regular thing. You know, we do something each week." This time, it was James's turn to be startled. He lost his relaxed composure and sat up on the couch, shock consuming his face.

"My _what_?" he cried. "Since when?" Valerie frowned at him and moved closer to Lily.

"Look, Lily," she said defensively. "I know you may be a bit jealous, but James and I agreed to be committed to each other last week. So I suggest you get over it, and soon." Lily's face mirrored James's expression.

"_Jealous?_" she choked out at the same time James demanded, "Commitment? When did I say that?"

"Look, Vanessa," began Lily. Valerie pouted.

"Valerie!"

"Whatever. You're supposed to be the biggest gossip in school, so spread this around, okay? Lily Evans will never, _ever_ be jealous of anyone that has any romantic involvement with James Potter…I mean me," she added quickly. "Nor will she be jealous of anyone who even _talks_ to him…me. Alright? Do you have all of that? Do you need to take notes?"

"And James Potter does _not _have a girlfriend," James added strongly. "He is a free man of his own will and shall never be tied down. Clear?" Valerie looked at Lily for a moment with a hurt expression.

"Fine, Friday night is off then," she said quietly, getting up. "If that's how you feel, consider yourself dumped." At her statement, James sputtered angrily.

"But we were never going out!" he protested. But Valerie was too upset to notice his slip up and when she turned to him, her pain on her face was replaced with anger.

"And you," she said angrily. "This is your entire fault. If you like him that much, then stop acting like you hate him and put yourself out of your misery." Without another word she turned on her heel and ran up the stairs, slamming her door so loud that everyone in the common room jumped. Lily and James stared after her in complete silence for a second before turning back to each other.

"Why is everything my fault?" Lily asked indignantly. "You know, if you don't keep your mouth shut when I have to deal with one of your groupies, the whole female population is going to hate me."

"You think you have problems," scoffed James. "Everyone is going to think I have a damn girlfriend now!"

"Oh, what shall we do," Lily said dryly.

"I'm serious!" said James. "This could turn out to be a real problem for me. With the mouth Veronica—or whatever her name is—has, she probably told everyone that I was taken, which will make the girls think that I'm not available, which will bring down my status. Not to mention, she'll now tell everyone that _she_ dumped _me_." James snorted and rolled his eyes. "As if I could ever get dumped. This could ruin a reputation that I spent years working on."

"Oh Potter, that is so sweet," Lily cooed, smiling at him. James looked at her with a bewildered look. "You actually thought I cared. I'm touched, really." James scowled at her and slouched deep into the chair.

"Oh ha, ha, ha," he said sourly. Lily grinned and turned back to her homework.

"Where are Sirius, Remus, and Peter?" she asked. "Shouldn't they be here?"

"Sirius is on a date with some Ravenclaw," replied James. "Remus is on a date with Heather. He's gone out with her a few times. I think he wants to ask her to be his girlfriend."

"That's so sweet," cooed Lily. James grimaced at the sound of his voice sounding so high pitched and girly.

"Whatever," he said. "And Peter…well I don't know where he is. Don't really care either. You do know what this means don't you?"

"What?" Lily asked, paying more attention to her homework than she was to him.

"It means that you…as me, James Potter, are the only one of the Marauders who doesn't have a date tonight. Instead, you are sitting here, doing homework. Do you know what this looks like?"

"God forbid that people see James Potter actually caring about his schoolwork than he does about girls," Lily said sarcastically. "I think the world may be over. Now leave me alone and let me finish this!" James pouted and grabbed a book (_Great Chasers Through the Ages of Quidditch _by Thomas Prewett) from the table. His expression soon softened when he lost himself in the pages. Lily sighed in relief, finally able to concentrate on her homework. It was now eight-thirty and she hadn't written down a word. If she wanted to finish before eleven, she had to get a move on.

Lily had just begun to write about the cause and effects of the Bog Wars when she felt yet another tap on her shoulder.

"What now?" she demanded irritably. She turned her head and saw a very bewildered Brian Monaghan holding many scrolls in his arms.

"What's up with you, Potter?" he asked. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh nothing," she said pleasantly. "It's not like I'm in my sixth year with essays to write, exams to study for. And don't even think that I have tons of homework that I'm trying to finish." Brian smiled at her sarcasm and sat down next to her.

"Sorry," he said. "But it'll only take a few minutes, I swear." Lily looked at him for a moment before setting her quill down.

"What is it?" she sighed.

"I just want to make sure you remembered the changes."

"What changes?"

"You know," Brian said slowly, eyeing her carefully. "The Quidditch practice." Lily's eyes widened bewilderedly. She hadn't thought of that. She had forgotten that James played Quidditch. "You do remember, don't you?" Lily moved her mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.

"Of course he does," James cut in smoothly. "James is just feeling a bit…scattered. Do go on." Brian looked at him curiously for a moment before turning back to Lily.

"Right," he continued. "Anyway, don't forget James. The practices are tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday from six to eight, okay? I'm also thinking about adding another practice right before the game on Saturday, but I'll let you know when I make up my mind. Is that alright?" Lily was still speechless and just stared at him. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, Potter. Make sure you get some sleep tonight so you're well rested. I wouldn't want my best chaser falling asleep on his broom." He gave her a pat on the back and then went to talk to a few of the other players. Lily stared after him in shock for a second before regaining her voice back.

"I have to play _Quidditch_?" she asked incredulously. "There's no way I'm doing that, Potter, so you can just forget it!"

"Oh yes you are," James countered, going back to his book.

"I'm afraid of heights!"

"No better time to face your fear," he said happily. "Look, you aren't going to win this one so you can just drop it right now."

"But…" Lily said, casting around for an excuse. "But…I'll make a complete fool of you at the practice," she finished. She was certain this would bother James for sure. Unfortunately she was wrong.

"Well," said James. "I'll be there watching making sure you won't do anything _too _humiliating. Besides, better to make a fool of me at the practice than the game." Lily's eyes widened.

"G-game?" she choked out. "There's a _game_?"

"Yep," James replied cheerfully. "Against Ravenclaw. And you'd better do well because we're tied for the Quidditch Cup, which means you'll have to score a bunch of points. They've got William Baker and Jessica Barns on their team, and they're pretty good. So basically, if you miss any points, you'll probably end up being booed off the pitch or something." He took a side glance at Lily, who was looking considerably pale. "Not to add any pressure or anything," he added, smirking slightly.

"Oh, thanks for your concern," she said sourly. James just grinned and picked up his book, leaving Lily to go back to her homework. She was about to continue writing about the Bog wars again when she felt yet another tap on her shoulder for the third time that evening.

"I don't know why I even try," Lily said out loud to herself, throwing down her quill. She looked up and saw Peter looking down at her curiously.

"Hey," he said. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm just trying to get some stuff done and I keep getting interrupted. What's up?" Peter threw himself into a chair and leaned back.

"Nothing really," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Just been wandering round the school."

"Doing what?" Lily murmured absentmindedly. She was only half listening because she was paying more attention to her homework than she was to him. Peter shrugged again.

"You know," he said. "Just stuff." James peeked over the top of his book, grinning at Peter.

"You've been up in the Astronomy Tower with that Lesley chick again, haven't you?" he asked cheekily. "Peter, you sly dog." Peter looked startled, and his cheeks were beginning to color.

"How do you know about that, Lily?" he asked James. Then he turned to the real Lily, and said, "James, did you tell her?" Lily didn't answer. She was currently absorbed in her assignment and had forgotten to reply to her new name. "James!" Peter said again.

"Hmm?" Lily started and looked up at him. "What was that, Peter?"

"I said, did you…" But Lily had already looked down again and was scribbling furiously on her parchment. "Oh, forget it," Peter said tiredly. He rose heavily to his feet and headed to the stairs. "I'm going to bed." James watched him walk to the dorm before turning to Lily.

"You know," he told her. "You really need to pay more attention to people who are talking to you."

"Mhhm…"

"And also, you probably shouldn't snap at people so much. You know, like the way you did to Remus this afternoon."

"That's great…"

"If you keep it up, I might end up with no friends."

"Glad to hear it."

"And Derek Thomas cancelled your date." Lily's head snapped up, her eyes wide with attention.

"He _what_?" she asked, alarmed. James rolled his eyes at her and grinned. Lily didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed at his little joke. She decided on the latter and glowered at him. "Not funny, Potter."

"I thought so," he chuckled. "I certainly got your attention, didn't I?" Lily just narrowed her eyes at him and started on her Charms homework. For the next hour she worked in silence while James read his book. By 9:15 she was almost finished when James interrupted her relaxed state, shutting his book with a sharp snap.

"I'm bored," he said in a monotonous tone. "And hungry."

"Good for you," Lily said irritably. She was still looking down at her book, her brow furrowed with concentration.

"Do you have anything to eat?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth.

"How about something to drink?"

"_No, _Potter!"

"Alright then, I'll just go down to the kitchens and—"

"Are you crazy? You'll probably get me caught and landed in detention. No."

"Please?"

"Are you deaf?" Lily snapped at him. "I said no! Now stop acting like such a baby and leave me alone!" James huffed angrily and slouched into the couch, pouting and scowling like a give year old.

"Fine," he grumbled. "You're so boring. Out of all the bodies I had to get stuck in had to be one of the person who doesn't have a life." Lily rolled her eyes and went back to her work, ignoring James's angry muttering. A while later, she finally shut her books with a sigh and leaned back in her chair.

"Finished," she said, relieved. "I feel like that took for ever."

"It's only ten o'clock," stated James.

"I know," she answered. "But it feels much later. I'm going to sleep in a few minutes."

"That reminds me," James began. "How're we going to—" But before he could finish, Parker came over and sat down. James immediately stopped talking, not want to create any suspicious vibes.

"Hey Lil," Parker said to him cheerfully.

"Hi," Lily and James answered in unison. James gave Lily a look.

"She was talking to me, Potter," he said, trying to remind her who she was at the moment.

"Oh," Lily mumbled. "Right, I knew that." Parker gave them strange looks before turning back to James.

"Anyway," she said slowly. "Lily, Kate's looking for her T-shirt. She said you borrowed it a few days ago and she wants to wear it to bed. Do you know where it is?"

James's eyebrows rose a bit, but before he answered, Lily said, "It's in my top drawer, under the pink tank top." Parker threw her a suspicious look and folded her arms.

"How do you know?" she said curiously. "James, have you been in the dorms again while we weren't there?"

"That was one time!" James said defensively without thinking. "And I wouldn't have gone in if Sirius hadn't told me my boxers were there, which they weren't." Parker turned to him, her expression now showing complete confusion.

"Lily since when do you own boxers? And why—" She cut off abruptly and just stared at them, trying to figure out what was going on. Lily and James looked at each other quickly while they tried to come up with a logical reason. "Never mind," Parker said, holding up her hands. "I really don't want to know. Look, Lily," She turned to James. "You might want to come up and find the top for Kate. She's scared she'll catch a chill if she doesn't get a shirt on soon." James's eyebrows rose further than last and a grin started to spread across his face. "I'll look where James said to," she threw Lily a skeptical look. "And I'll be sure to tell Kate to make sure nothing's wrong with it." She turned on her heel to leave and started up the stairs. Halfway up, she turned around and said, "Oh and Lily? You might want to come up and claim the shower now, because a lot of us are taking them tonight instead of tomorrow morning. You'll get stuck last if you don't hurry." She hurried up to the dorm and shut the door softly behind her. After a moment James rose to his feet, faking an enormous yawn.

"Well," he said with a chuckle. "Getting quite late don't you think? I think I'll turn in now. G'night Evans." He made a move towards the stairs, but before he could even set his foot down, he felt a sharp tug on his sweater.

"Sit," Lily commanded stonily. She didn't wait for him to do so, and instead jerked him back on the couch. She crossed her arms and fixed him with a menacing glare. "I know what you're up to," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"You are if you don't know the answer to that," James replied casually.

"What exactly were you planning on doing?" Lily demanded, ignoring his comment.

"Going to sleep," he said innocently. "Perhaps take a shower."

"Yeah right," scoffed Lily. "You just want to want to watch everyone change, you pervert." James just shrugged.

"Hey, I'm a boy," he said unabashedly. "At least, usually I am. If there's a golden opportunity to watch girls run around in towels and not get in trouble for it, I'm going to take it." Lily pulled a face.

"Not if I can help it," she said firmly. "While you are in my body, Potter, you will not go into the girls' dorm without me. You _especially_ will not sleep in there. Who knows what you would do alone with a girl's body." James gasped loudly, feigning shock.

"Are you saying that you don't trust me?"

"I'm saying that you're just a hormone driven sixteen-year-old boy who cares only for a woman's body and none for the personality." James opened his mouth indignantly and started to answer back, but then seemed to rethink what she said and closed it.

"Actually, that's quite accurate. Okay, so where will we sleep?" Lily raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"We?" she repeated disbelievingly. "What _we_? I don't know about any 'we', but _you _will be sleeping down here on the couch, and _I _will be sleeping in your dorm."

"But that's not fair!" cried James. "You get a soft bed while I get this overstuffed piece of cloth with a scrap of wool for warmth."

"Potter, you would be sleeping on a large sofa made of fine velvet with the giant Gryffindor blanket that's half an inch thick and almost big enough to cover our entire year."

"But what if I get cold?" James said stubbornly. "It could come off."

"If you weren't so hopeless in charms," Lily began dryly. "I would suggest using an engorgement spell, but you'd probably blow it up instead." James glared at her, but said nothing about it because he knew she was right.

"Fine," he said, crossing his arms. "That may be true, but how do I know _you _won't be trying to catch an eyeful or two?" Lily threw him a glare.

"Potter, I sincerely hope that you aren't insinuating that _I _would ever try to get an 'eyeful', as you call it, of…" She looked disdainfully down at the body that she was stuck in and gave a shudder. "This." James shrugged and smirked at her, ignoring her insult.

"I don't know," he said skeptically. "So many girls would jump at this opportunity. How do I know you aren't lying?"

"Point one," Lily answered, wrinkling her nose. "If I ever did what I think you think I'm going to do, I would be scarred for life _and_ death. Point two; you are an egotistical, self centered ass."

"Those are both beside the point at hand," James continued, stretching out on the couch lazily. "You'd better make yourself comfy, Evans."

"And why is that?"

"Because you will be sleeping down here right along with me," he stated calmly.

"No way!" cried Lily.

"Way," James replied, a smirk beginning to spread on his face.

"No!" she said again.

"Hey, it's only fair."

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'life's not fair'!" she screeched.

"Look," he reasoned. "Either we both sleep down here, or you sleep in my dorm and I sleep in yours. Take your pick." Lily glared at him. While she was extremely reluctant to agree, she knew that James would never miss the chance to watch her roommates changing.

"Alright," she said irritably. "Fine. I'll sleep down here, too. Are you happy now?" James shook his head.

"Not really," he said disappointedly. "I was hoping I would be able to sleep in the girls' dorm. Boy, the things I would tell Sirius." Lily rolled her eyes gave him a disgusted look.

"Boys," she muttered. "Speaking of night time duties, how are we going to take showers?" James smirked and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Lily said, "Shut up, Potter. I'm in no mood for you're perverted cheek." James closed his mouth, but the smirk remained on his face.

"How about this," he said. "We shower in swimsuits." Lily began to protest, out of complete habit, but then stopped. _Actually_, she thought. _That's not a bad idea._

"Fine," she agreed. "But I expect you to _keep the swimsuit on_. Is that clear, Potter?" James gave her a disgusted look.

"Look Evans," he said. "I may be a hormonal driven sixteen-year-old boy, but I have morals. You can trust me." Lily gazed at him for a moment, trying to make sure that he was serious. But there was not one trace of a smirk, or any sarcasm in his voice. To her surprise, James was being sincere.

"Alright, deal." They shook hands as a sign of their agreement. "Okay," Lily said. "I might as well go take one now. I'll back down in about fifteen minutes."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," James called up to her jokingly.

"Well that leaves plenty of choices, doesn't it?" she joked back. James laughed and went back to his book.

Lily made her way into the boys' dorm room, chuckling softly. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. _Did I just have a friendly moment with Potter? _she thought bewilderedly. She sighed and shook her head, walking into the bathroom. _What is the world coming to?_

**A/N: It took me the longest time to write this because even though I know what I want to happen, I had to _get_ there. And let me tell, Writer's Block is a bad thing. A _very _bad thing. The next chapter will be much more interesting, I promise. Let's just say that Lily becomes a bit more sympathetic towards the male gender…**

**Read and review! Thanks in advanced!**

**Until next time,**

**Spirit **


	6. I'm Sure It's Just an Exaggeration

**a/n: AAAAAAHHHHH! Hey everyone, happy Halloween! I have to practically order myself to stay in my seat cuz I'm soooo happy! Big, HUMONGOUS thank you to PIXIE5252 who was so kind to put me on her favorites list! This chapter is dedicated to you! I feel so loved!**

**DEDICATED TO PIXIE5252, This is for you!**

Chapter Six: I'm Sure It's Just an Exaggeration 

Tuesday evening had come far too quickly for Lily. Before she knew it, it was time for the dreaded Quidditch practice. She and James were down in the locker room and he had just finished explaining to her the rules of the game while she put on the scarlet robes over her uniform.

"Okay, are you ready?" James asked her.

"No," Lily answered.

"Bloody hell, it's just a practice, Evans! Not the World Cup." Lily bit her lip uncertainly and looked at the broom in her hand.

"There's no pain involved, right?" James rolled his eyes.

"You've seen the games, you know what it's like!" he said. "There's not a lot involved in a practice, but just in case, you might want to put this on." He held up a plastic device that looked like a small cup attached to elastic bands (**a/n: **I have no clue what a jock strap looks like, so you'll just have to go with me on this one).

"What the hell is that?" Lily asked.

"This," he said, "is something that becomes your best friend when you are a male athlete." Lily's face changed from confused to horror as she realized what was in James's hands.

"No way!" she said, shaking her head vigorously. "I go through enough when I'm in the bathroom; I don't need to see anything more!"

"Evans, be sensible," reasoned James. "If you want to avoid some _intense _pain, you'll put this on."

"No."

"Evans! I'm trying to help here, now put it on!"

"No!" she repeated stubbornly. "I'm not putting that thing on. I'm sure it's just an exaggeration, anyway. The pain can't be _that_ bad." James stared at her for a moment before sighing and putting the object down.

"Boy, are you going to regret that," he told her. "If only you knew what you were saying. Come on, you'd better get out there or Brian will have your head. The team's already on their brooms. I'll be sitting in the stands. Just fly up to me if you have any questions."

"Okay," Lily said. She watched James walk up to the stands. After a moment, Lily turned towards the pitch and took a deep breath. _Well, _she thought. _Here it goes._ She timidly made her way out to the field, glancing up at the other players. _They're so high up, _she thought nervously. _I can't believe I'm doing this. _Brian's shouting brought her out of her thoughts.

"POTTER!" he yelled. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE, WAITING FOR THE END OF THE CENTURY? GET YOU'RE ARSE IN THE AIR! WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO!"

"Coming!" Lily called back. She carefully mounted the broom and lightly tapped her foot on the ground.

Nothing happened.

She tapped her foot again, but still nothing happened.

"What, I'm not doing it right?" she wondered aloud.

"YOU'VE GOT TO KICK OFF HARDER!" James shouted down to her. Lily impatiently stomped her foot on the ground. The broom immediately shot up into the air, at least at forty miles per hour, and gaining velocity. Lily shut her eyes tightly and hung on for dear life. She was creaming her lungs out, much to James' horror.

"AAAAAAAHHHH! OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod!" she shrieked. James groaned and buried his head into his hands.

"She'll ruin me," he moaned.

When the broom finally slowed down, Lily slowly opened her eyes. She looked over to the team who stared back at her curiously.

"Hey James," said Sirius. "You all right, mate?" Lily looked down, and immediately wished she hadn't. She was about sixty or seventy feet in the air, which was not a good thing for someone who was afraid of heights.

"You're beginning to look a bit pale," added Clark Garrison, the one of the other Chasers.

"I'm fine," Lily squeaked. "Really, I'm fine."

"Alright then," said Brian in annoyed tone. "When we're all done chatting, I would like to get in some actual practice. I was watching the Ravenclaw team and they have definitely improved."

"They'll never be as good as us," said Barry Lawson, the team keeper.

"That may be true," said Brian, grinning slightly. "But we need to work on our plays. I've come up with a few new ones that I want to try out. Lawson, get in front of the goals. Black, Garrison, I want you to practice passing the bludgers from different sides of the pitch. Wiseman, I want you to start looking for the snitch. When you catch it, let it go and count to ten before going after it again. Potter, Garrison, and I will start passing the quaffle, and Lawson, I want you to try and block them. Alright, get to the warm-ups, everyone! We've lost about fifteen minutes already." They all flew to their positions and began, but Lily stayed where she was, unsure of where to go. She looked to James, who was pointing over to her right and mouthing, "Go over there!" Lily nodded and flew in a wobbly line a few feet. She waited a few minutes. _Where's the quaffle? _she thought. _I thought they were supposed to pass it to me. _

She heard a faint whistling noise, and then someone shouted, "JAMES, LOOK OUT!" As Lily was turning her head towards the voice, something solid collide with the side of her head and nearly knocked her off the broom.

"Ugh!" she grunted. She wobbled dangerously but managed to grab hold of the stick before she fell. Clutching her head, Lily squinted her eyes and saw Brian flying towards her through what appeared to be stars.

"Are you alright, Potter?" he asked worriedly. Lily nodded her head and winced when she felt a throbbing pain.

"Yeah," she gasped. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just…caught off guard."

"You've got to pay attention when someone passes you the Quaffle, Potter. Come on, get in the game." Brian flew away and passed the Quaffle to Garrison. Lily groaned rubbed her head. _Less than five minutes and I already hate the game, _she thought grumpily. She heard laughter and turned towards the stands. James was chuckling softly, trying to hide it behind his hand and doing a very bad job at it. Scowling, Lily slowly made her way over to him.

"Ha, ha, ha," she said sourly. "I'll bet you thought that was funny, eh Potter?" James looked up at her and smirked, eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Yeah," he said carelessly. "Actually, I did."

"Well _I_ didn't," she snapped. "I suppose it wouldn't ever occur to you that it was painful?" James bit his lip to prevent more laughter from escaping and with great effort, forced a serious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You're right. Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" James held up three fingers. There was a brief moment in which Lily thought vaguely, _I could have sworn that hands only had five fingers_.

"Like it matters now!" she said crossly.

"Potter!" barked Brian. "What are you doing over there? Save the flirting for later and get back over here!" James grinned and waggled his fingers. Lily threw him one more dirty look and flew back to where she was before.

"Ass," she grumbled under her breath.

"James!" called Clark. "The Quaffle's coming to you!" He threw the red ball to her and Lily fumbled with it for a moment before clutching it tightly. Since this was the first Quaffle she had ever caught, she extremely happy. Extremely.

"Yay!" she said excitedly. "Did you see that? I caught it! I caught the waffle!" James groaned and began to softly thump his head on the banister.

"Waffle," he mumbled. "I can't believe she just said _waffle._" Over by the goal posts, Sirius leaned over to Barry.

"Did he just say _waffle_ instead of quaffle?" he asked in hushed tones. Barry nodded sullenly.

"Afraid so, mate," he answered grimly. Sirius nodded.

"Just making sure it wasn't me."

"Maybe it's because he got hit," suggested Trisha Wiseman. She gestured to her head. "The quaffle probably just, you know, unscrewed a few things. It'll pass." All three nodded and went back to practicing.

Still celebrating over her catch, Lily didn't notice Brian fly up to her for the second time that evening. The expression on his face was far from happy.

"Potter," he said sharply. "Would you mind passing the quaffle back tonight, if possible?" Lily blushed slightly and looked down.

"Sorry," she said, slightly out of breath. "Um…yeah, here you go." She held the ball out, but Brian didn't take it.

"Don't just hand it to me," he said exasperatedly. "Use that arm I know you have and pass it."

"Oh," stammered Lily. "Right. P-pass it. Of course." Brian sighed and raced off again, getting ready for the pass. "Pass it," Lily said to herself. "Right, I can do that." She took a deep breath and looked over to Brian. Gripping the broom tightly with her left hand, she brought her hand back and hurled the quaffle towards Brian with all her might.

In Lily's opinion, it went pretty far.

After all, twenty feet could be considered an extremely good distance.

Too bad Brian was _thirty_ feet away.

The rest of the practice seemed to just crawl by for Lily. There had been some good points and bad points. With a few other passes, Lily managed to increase the distance each time. However, she had also managed to hit Sirius in the nose and Brian in the back. Even though she had tried to apologize, Brian was so mad he yelled himself hoarse at her. In addition to being hit in the head, she was also hit in the shoulder and the knee.

She had also run into one of the goal posts.

James hadn't been much help. He seemed to have a mix of emotions. One minute he was doubled over, laughing at all of her injuries and clumsiness. The next he was pacing back and forth, trying to keep himself from tearing out the red hair in clumps from his frustration.

When eight o'clock finally came around, Lily was tired, sweaty, and sore. All she wanted to do was take a hot shower and sleep for the next ten years.

"Alright, team," Brian yelled. "Good practice! Don't forget, the next one is on Thursday, same time. Everyone go on in get some sleep!" They all cheered and started to fly lower to the ground. Lily was just figuring out how to get down when Brian came over to her.

"James," he said sternly. "I hope you'll have a better focus on Thursday." Lily nodded.

"I will," she said. "Don't worry."

"I couldn't help notice that you weren't as up to scratch as you usually are. You're playing like a beginner! Is there anything going on that might be distracting you?"

"No," Lily lied quickly. "Nothing at all." Brian looked at her for moment.

"Alright," he sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. "Why don't you go take a rest? I think that's all it is. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Lily nodded and Brian started heading down. When he was gone, she wondered aloud, "Okay, now how do I get down?" She thought for a moment, then tried forcing her weight down on the broom. It jerked slightly, but otherwise stayed in the air. Lily tried again, but still nothing happened.

"Having troubles?" James called dryly from the stands.

"No," she said stubbornly. "I can do it myself, Potter. I'm not _completely_ inadequate, you know." James smirked and crossed his arms.

"Not completely," he said. "You might want to try leaning forward a bit. That's what usually works, anyway. See you on the ground." Lily scowled at his retreating back, but did as she was told.

As she soared down, she tried to keep her dinner in her stomach. _I hate flying_, she thought crossly. _I'll never speak to Potter again for this. _She landed on the ground with a soft thump, and turned to James who was leaning lazily against the wall.

"Took you long enough," he laughed. Lily brushed past him, making sure to bump his shoulder.

"Stuff it, Potter," she snapped. "I'm _not_ in the mood. Would you like to know why?"

"I really don't care," James said in a bored tone. Lily ignored him.

"I just spent two hours on a broomstick. My butt is sore, my arm hurts, and I have to do this every week! Even worse, I have to do it in front of a thousand people on Saturday! I am _not_ happy, Potter. You owe me big for this!"

"Why?" he asked. "I'm the one who has to go on a date with a boy! Newsflash Evans, I don't row in that boat!"

"Well, if you had canceled yesterday like I told you, you wouldn't be in that problem would you, Potter?" she said testily. "But _no_! You just had to go and make things difficult, and make my life a living hell!"

"It's no bed of roses being you either Evans!" James shot back. Before Lily could retort, she heard someone interrupt.

"Hey James!" Then, Lily heard a whistling sound.

A very familiar one, at that.

"JAMES, LOOK OUT!" someone shouted.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Trying to see who had given the warning, Lily didn't see the bludger hurtling towards her.

"What?" she asked. "What's wro—" But she didn't get to finish her sentence. The next thing she knew, Lily was doubled over in pain. The worst pain she had ever felt in her life.

"Ooh," someone breathed softly. "Boy, do I feel for him."

She felt a throbbing between her legs, and it hurt so bad, she couldn't even speak. Then she realized it.

She had been hit in the groin.

That's right.

Lily Evans had been hit in the groin with a bludger.

Every male present cringed.

"Ouch," said Barry, his face contorted as if he had been hit instead.

"That's gotta hurt," Sirius said sympathetically. He walked over to her and put a hand on her back. "You alright James?" Lily bit her lip to keep herself from crying.

"Yeah," she squeaked. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" asked Brian. "Do you need us to carry you to the infirmary? Can you walk?" Lily screwed up her eyes and swallowed the growing lump in her throat.

"No," she gasped finally. "No, I'll be fine."

"If you can't ride a broom on Thursday I completely understand," Brian continued. "In fact, if you can, I'll be surprised." Lily just shook her head. After a moment, she became aware of the fact that James was laughing so hard that he was doubled over and leaning against the wall for support.

Scowling at him, Lily said tensely, "It's—_not_—funny, _Evans_."

"James is right, Lily," piped up Sirius. "Being hit in the groin, _especially_ with a bludger, is no laughing matter. You'll never understand what it's like." James straightened up, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Oh, you'd be surprised just how well I _do _understand, Sirius," he chuckled. Sirius just shook his head. Turning back to Lily, he said, "Are you sure you're okay, Prongs? Do you want me to get you an icepack?" For a moment, Lily considered saying yes. The pain wasn't going away. But she had never seen a boy put an icepack on when he was hit, so she figured that she should either.

"No, that's okay," she said, still bent over. "I'll be fine." Sirius looked doubtful, but nodded his head.

"Okay. See you later." He jogged off into the changing room, leaving Lily and James alone.

"I told you to put that thing on," James said, still grinning. "But did you listen? Thanks to you, I might never have children." Lily shot him a glare. "So how is it?"

"Intense," she choked.

"Told you so," he said smugly. "Now you know what we go through."

"Does it ever go away?" Lily asked.

"What, the risk?"

"No," Lily said through gritted teeth. "The pain."

"Oh that," James said casually. "Yeah, it will eventually. Just take deep breaths." Lily made a loud sobbing noise and closed her eyes. James's face contorted to into a look of fear mixed with horror. "You aren't going to cry are you?" he asked quickly. "Do you know what would happen if people saw me crying! I'd never hear the end of it!"

"Relax," Lily said, biting her lip. "I'm not going to cry. It just hurts really badly."

"You just have to get used to it."

"I don't plan on it," she answered stonily.

James paused for a moment, and a brief look of concern crossed his face. "You okay?" Lily nodded her head slightly.

"It's going on forever," she said, eyes still tightly closed.

"Nah, it just feels like that. Still think it's an exaggeration?" Lily shook her head vigorously. "Thought not," James said, beginning to laugh again. Lily threw him a dirty look and slowly straightened up. _Oh, screw being manly, _she though bitterly. _I'm in pain._

"Shut up, Potter, and help me to the infirmary. I think I'm going to need that ice pack."

**A/n: Doesn't that make you females out there happy that you're a girl? I know I am! Anyway, drop a review on the way out, and also, since it's Halloween, tell me if you dressed up and what you went as!**

**Until next time, **

**Spirit**


	7. Transforming Ms Evans, Both in Mind and ...

**A/N: OH MY GOD! Twenty-something reviews on one freakin' chapter! I'm so glad everyone liked the whole "bludger" incident; it was really fun to write! **

**Okay, everyone: you see a different side of James in this chapter, that is slightly more serious. Actually, a lot more, so you'll be getting to know him a bit better. I had to split this chapter up into two parts cuz it was too long. This in itself is almost twenty pages! So, onto Chapter VII! Enjoy!**

Chapter Seven: Transforming Ms. Evans, Both in Mind and Body, Part One

The next day was Wednesday, and Lily was _still _sore from Quidditch practice from the other night. Every part of her body ached, from her head (since she was hit in the head with a quaffle) to…erm…well.

Anyway, considering all of the above, Lily did not want to get out of bed (or in her case, the couch). At seven o'clock when she woke up to the hustle and bustle of students heading down to breakfast, she debated whether or not to get up for a few moments before turning over and closing her eyes again.

Just when Lily was drifting of to sleep once more, she was promptly reawakened when she felt a pillow collide with her head. Quite roughly, too. Lily scowled, but kept her eyes closed. When she didn't answer, the person hit her again.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" chirped a voice. Lily groaned, knowing only too well who it was.

"Go 'way, Potter!" she whined childishly. "Lemme alone!" James plunked down on the couch, purposely making it bounce around and landing on her feet. "Owie!" she muttered irritably. Lily raised and arm and made an attempt to hit James in the head, but only ended up waving it aimlessly around.

"C'mon, Evans," James said, shaking her on the shoulder. "Let's go, it's nearly seven-forty."

"Your point?" Lily asked tonelessly, still not opening an eye.

"My point is that you have something called school that you need to get ready for. Hurry up, or—" He held up his index and middle fingers and made the symbol for quotes. "—'you'll be late.' That's a direct quote, by the way. Guess who says it?"

"Ha, ha, ha," she answered crossly. James patted her foot and rose to his feet. "Come on now, Evans Up and at 'em!" He grabbed both of her arms and pulled her into a sitting position, ignoring her protesting. Lily finally opened her eyes, glaring at James angrily.

"Alright, fine," she snapped, slapping his hand away. "I can get up on my own, you know."

"As you just proved," James muttered. Lily threw him a dirty look. She stood up and began stretch, but winced when she felt her shoulder muscle twinge with pain.

"Ouch," she mumbled, rubbing it gently.

"What's wrong?" James asked.

"My shoulder hurts," she said, frowning slightly. "And my thighs, my arms, my back, my elbow—" Up until now, James had been ignoring her complaining and instead had been checking the ends of his (or her) hair. But when Lily mentioned elbows, he looked up.

"Your elbow?" he asked curiously. "Why would your elbow hurt? You don't use them in Quidditch. Or any sport for that matter." Lily looked down before she answered, a red blush starting to creep into her cheeks.

"I know…" she said sheepishly.

"So…" James pressed on. Lily cleared her throat and fiddled with the corner of the blanket.

"I banged it on the pole when I ran into the goal post," she said quietly. James gave a snort and ducked his head in silent laughter. "It isn't funny!" Lily cried indignantly. "It felt like everything I tried to do was wrong."

"Maybe because it was."

"When I tried to lift off, I went too high," she continued, ignoring the rude comment. "When I passed the waffle—"

"Quaffle," corrected James.

"—it went too short, and when I tried to score a goal I didn't let go of the damn ball in time and got my arm caught in the bloody loop," she ended piteously.

"That was one of the funniest things I have ever seen," laughed James. "The way you yelped was just hysterical."

"It was embarrassing."

"That's why it was funny." Lily made a sour face at him.

"Well, I'm glad _you _enjoyed it," she said acidly. James snorted and folded his arms.

"You think I _enjoyed_ it?" he asked incredulously. Lily made a derisive noise.

"Yes."

"Well," relented James. "You're right, I did. But not the _entire_ thing!" he added defensively. "How do you think I feel? My Quidditch mates are going think I've gone right off my trolley! Not throwing the quaffle a reasonable distance, squealing like a—"

"Don't you dare say 'girl,'" Lily whispered dangerously.

"—a being of a certain _feminine gender_ when you flew into the air, and—for God's sake, Evans! You called the quaffle a _waffle_!"

"Well how was I supposed to know what the damn thing is called?" yelled Lily.

"You go to the bloody matches every three weeks!" James hollered back.

"Stop yelling at me!"

"I'M NOT YELLING!"

"Oh, shut up," a passing fifth year interjected tonelessly, speaking as if telling the time. Lily and James glared at him, but he didn't notice as he was already on his way through the portrait. James turned back to lily and tried to regain control of his temper.

"Okay," he said, forcing himself to stay calm. "It's obvious you need to get in some extra practice."

"Oh thanks," Lily sneered.

"So I think maybe tonight you and I should head out and train a bit more." Lily rolled her eyes.

"I can't wait."

"Look, I'll help you okay?"

"I'm so grateful." James sighed and heaved an exasperated sigh. _She's more stubborn than a hippogriff,_ he thought.

"Well you should be! You could at least _act_ appreciative, you know."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Potter," Lily said, folding her arms. "But I wasn't trained by Shakespeare." James fixed her with a glare.

"Hilarious," he said dryly while Lily grinned at him. "Look, you don't really have a choice here, Evans. I will not allow you to make a fool of me in front of the entire school at the Quidditch game on Saturday. Tonight we'll go outside and work on some stuff okay?"

"No bludgers," Lily said flatly. James smiled and held his hand out.

"No bludgers," he repeated. Lily looked at his hand apprehensively before shaking it, sealing their deal. "Alright," James said, glancing at the clock. "You'd better go get ready. It's already nearly seven-forty five. With the way you always get stopped by the female population, you'll want to leave plenty of time to make your way down to the Great Hall." Lily playfully punched his shoulder as he chuckled to himself.

"Aren't you the cocky one?" she joked (well, half-joked). "I'll be right down." Lily turned around and began to make her way over to the staircase, but before she could go any further, she felt a strong hand grab her arm.

"What?" she asked as she turned around. She said it quite irritably since she had felt pain shoot through her as the hand gripped her. "Oh, it's you. What do you want, Sirius." Sirius laughed and perched himself on the arm of a nearby chair.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," he said cheerfully. "Sleep well?"

"No," Lily said honestly. The night before, James kept kicking her foot in his sleep (or so she thought) and stealing most of the covers.

"Well, no wonder," Sirius answered. "I mean, the couch can't be all that comfy, can it?"

"Oh it has nothing to do with the couch."

"Why are you sleeping down here anyway?" he asked, looked around. "What's wrong with your bed? Is Peter's snoring getting to you? I would think you would be used to it after six years" Lily paused for a second, thinking quickly on her feet.

"I fell asleep on it a few nights ago, and it was so comfortable I decided to do it again." Sirius raised a curious eyebrow and gave Lily a strange look.

"Right," he said slowly. "Anyway, we're still on for tonight, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Lily asked, extremely confused. "What's going on tonight?" Sirius whacked her on the head. "Ow…" she whined.

"That was for your lack of common sense," he said casually. "You know what's going on tonight! Remus already went down to the infirmary and Madam Pomfrey helped him down to the willow." If Lily had looked behind her, she would have seen that James paled considerably after hearing what Sirius said. "So me and Peter will meet you down here at the regular time tonight, okay? Don't forget to bring the cloak."

"Erm…" Lily said dumbly. "Okay…" Sirius smiled and thumped her on the back, not noticing her wince slightly.

"Okay then! Look, I'll see you in class. I've got to go down and talk to Sarah. I promised I would meet her early and eat with her. I'll talk to you later." He ran off out of the portrait, leaving behind a very dazed-Lily. _Hm…_ she thought, slowly making her way up the stairs. _That was…interesting. What was he talking about? And what cloak? _Still thinking about what Sirius said, Lily didn't hear James run up behind her until she felt him latch onto her wrist, holding her back.

"What?" she asked him.

James looked around before dropping his voice low and saying, "We have to talk." Lily sighed exasperatedly and twisted her arm out of his grip.

"Now?" she said in annoyed tone. "Can't it wait? I have to go get dressed, and eat breakfast, plus I don't want to be late, as you said yourself." She made a move to continue up the stairs, but James grabbed her once again and looked straight into her eyes. For the second time in her life, Lily saw that he didn't show one trace of mirth.

"All of that can and _will_ wait," he said, still dropping his voice lower. "We have to talk. _Now._"

Less than five minutes later, Lily sat in an empty classroom watching James pace up and down the room while she perched herself on a desk, very hungry and very cranky. She was silent as she watched him for the first minute or so. But when he still hadn't said anything and started to run nervous hands through _her_ red hair, she spoke up.

"Is there a particular reason you dragged me here?" she said impatiently. "We've definitely missed breakfast, and at this rate that you're talking, which is zero, we'll be late for Herbology as well." James took a deep breath and sat down in front of her. Then he stood up and started pacing again. "And would you stop that?" Lily snapped at him, tugging him firmly into a desk. "You're making my neck ache."

"Sorry," he muttered absentmindedly. James took another deep breath before finally looking up at her. "Okay, listen. I'm about to tell you something that you cannot tell a soul. If—_when _I tell you, do you promise not to say a word? Not even to Parker and Kate?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"You can trust me Potter," she told him. James snorted.

"I'm not telling you this because I trust you. I'm telling you because I've go no other choice."

"Oh _thank you_," Lily said sourly. "Thank you very much."

"I mean it Evans," James said, an almost desperate note in his voice. "You really can't tell anyone. Do you promise?"

"What did I just say?"

"_Promise _me, Evans!"

"Fine, fine! I promise." Lily relented, waving her hand. After all, how bad could it be? "Just tell me already!" James cleared his throat.

"Okay. It all started a few years ago, around the end of first year. One night, we were all sitting around by the fire, and I noticed Remus was beginning to look a bit pale. I remember thinking it was sort of odd, since Remus's skin is usually kind of on the golden side. He was also a little more…er…_cross_. We asked him if he was alright, and he said that he was fine, just a bit tired. Then he said that he was going to the Infirmary for a while.

"Well, after he was gone, and Sirius and Peter had gone to bed, I sat up in my bed, thinking about it all. I started to think back, and I became aware of the fact it was like a pattern. Every month, Remus would get tired, pale and snappy, then disappear for a few days. Every time he came back he would say how he had to go visit his grandmother unexpectedly, or aunt, or cousin, or something. But as I thought it over, I remembered that he had told us that both of his parents had been only children.

Once I realized that and pieced everything together, I pulled out one of my books that I had gotten for Christmas. It was called _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. I looked up all of the symptoms. All of them were there, on that one page. Except, one of them I had failed to notice.

"So I ran to the window and parted the curtain. There it was. Then I knew. It was a full moon." Lily gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. As soon as James mentioned the full moon, she knew what he was talking about. She could tell that James still had more to say, so she decided to hold her questions until the end. James sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Anyway, after that it all made sense. Remus was a werewolf, and every month he would go to the Shrieking Shack whenever he transformed. I told Sirius and Peter about, and about a week later, we told Remus that we knew. We knew all about him. At first, he thought we were dropping him. He had never had any real friends before, you know.

"But we convinced him that we had no intention of doing so. 'Once a Marauder, always a Marauder,' Sirius told him." James paused and smiled slightly at the memory. Lily furrowed her brow in thought. She had no idea that James had this sensitive side to him. Apparently, there was more to him than just a hormonal driven sixteen year old boy. "So, we cooked up a plan, worked on it, and in the third year, we…" James trailed off. He looked at Lily briefly and quickly looked back down at the ground, mumbling something incoherently.

"What?" asked Lily. James cleared his throat.

"Sirius, Peter, and I…became Animagi." It was quiet for what seemed like eternity while Lily allowed what he had just told her to sink in.

Then it sank in, and it was no longer quiet.

"WHAT!" she roared, leaping out of her seat. "You became _animagi_?" For once, James didn't back down from her temper.

"Yeah," he replied just as strongly. "Yeah, we did!" Lily had begun to pace, waving her hands around wildly.

"I can't believe you did that!" she ranted. "That's _illegal, _Potter! That is so typical of you Marauders! You acted irrationally without thinking! Do you know that most wizards can't even accomplish that? Obviously you never heard about the cases of people that ended up with half animal parts and half human, did you? That's what's wrong with you, Potter. You don't think of consequences!" If Lily had paused for just a moment, she would have noticed that James expression was becoming stormy. "But you didn't, and _so _many things could have happened! You could have brewed the wrong potion and poisoned yourselves; you could have ended up with permanent damage…UGH! I'll bet, I'll _just bet_ that it was your idea, too, wasn't it?" Until now, James had remained silent, but his temper had reached the boiling point. He had had enough.

"You know what, Evans?" he shouted furiously and standing to his feet. "You're right! It was my idea! And you know what else? I don't regret one damn thing! I would do it again even if the risk was one thousand times higher than they were! Do you know why! Because I cared about Remus! I knew he was lonely, Evans! I understood! I _know _what it's like to feel different and lonely! Yeah, that's right!" he added loudly when Lily's eyebrows raised in surprise. "I've been lonely before. Surprise, surprise, Evans, I'm human! Go figure! So don't you dare think, or even _insinuate_ that I would do anything to harm him, or any of my friends for that matter! Is that clear?" Complete silence enveloped the room except for James's ragged breaths. Lily was so shocked at his outburst, she couldn't answer. James took a menacing step toward her and they were almost nose to nose.

"I said," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "_Is that clear_?" Lily nodded and leaned away from him, surprised to find herself feeling fearful of James Potter.

"Ye—yeah," she stammered. "It's clear." James glared at her for a moment longer before turning away abruptly and crossing his arms. Lily slowly let out a long breath and straightened up, her heart still beating rapidly. She had had no idea that James had such a temper. It seemed impossible that someone who joked around so much would ever be so angry. _Well, _she thought to herself. _That teaches me to never assume. _Part of her was slightly thankful that she and James had switched bodies, because he would have definitely more frightening as a six foot sixteen year old boy.

Finally, James turned to face her again, looking much calmer than he had been five minutes ago. "Look," he said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. "The reason I told you this is because tonight is a full moon, and every full moon Peter, Sirius and I transform to keep Remus company." Lily's eyes widened in horror.

"You mean," she said uncertainly. "I have to _transform _into an animal?" James nodded. "I can't!" she exclaimed. "I don't know how!"

"Which is why we are here," stated James calmly. "You and I are going to stay here until you know how to change."

"But what about our classes?"

"We'll worry about it later. Right now, you have to concentrate."

"What sort of animal are you?" she asked curiously.

"A stag," James answered. "I'll tell you more about it later okay? Right now, I need you to clear your mind, which shouldn't be so hard," he added sardonically. Lily smirked. It seemed that the old James Potter was back.

"You're right," she said back. "Considering I have your brain."

"Has anyone ever told you that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit?" James asked her.

"Forgive me, I was just trying to bring the conversation down to your level." James grinned at her and inclined his head, his eyebrow quirked.

"Touché," he said softly. "Alright, all kidding aside, Evans, close your eyes and clear your mind." Lily did so, and heard him say, "Think of the body of stag; think about every inch of its essence. Every bone, each hoof; every hair on its back and every point on its antlers." Lily smiled slightly. _He sounds almost poetic_, she thought to herself. _Imagine that_. "Okay, you got that in mind?" Lily nodded. "Okay. Now this is the hardest and most important part, Evans. You _have _to keep your concentration, or it won't work. Okay?"

"Okay," she answered.

"Alright," James continued. "Now imagine yourself as the stag. Think about your feet and hands morphing into hooves, your ears lengthening and becoming velvety. Your face growing longer, your nose becoming cold, antlers sprouting…" Lily furrowed her brow in concentration as she let his words sink in. As she listened, his voice became gradually louder and she felt a tingling sensation on her ears. _Why is he shouting? _she wondered. Lily didn't have much time to contemplate it, because her back was starting to hunch over and she felt her bones lengthen. Her arms grew as did her legs, and she felt something poke through her forehead. Lily tried to say something to James about the volume of his voice, but she couldn't. Her mouth was too small.

Very slowly, Lily opened her eyes. She saw James looking at her and smiling.

"Well done," he said. Lily swiveled her head around, taking in her new form. _I did it! _she thought happily. _I actually did it! _She breathed in deeply. The smells were amazing. She could even pick up the scent of a student who had previously sat in a nearby desk. She could also hear the lessons being taught in the nearby classrooms, even though the doors were closed.

"Wow," she said. But she didn't hear her voice (or rather, James's voice). Instead, she heard something like a grunt. "What was that?" she tried again. But the same noise came out. James laughed and stroked her behind the ears.

"Well, well. Aren't you a noisy one?" he joked. Lily snorted angrily and yanked her head away from him. "Hm, temperamental, too," James added. "I guess that really hasn't changed. Okay, now that you've transformed, try walking around. It takes a while to get used to walking on four legs." Lily made a noise to show she understood, and took a step forward.

Then she fell.

"Ow!" she cried (that would be _snorting_ to James).

"Shh!" scolded James. "Keep it down or they'll hear you. Alright, try again. Step forward with the right front hoof at the same time you do with the back left. Then the do the same with the front left and back right." Slowly, Lily did as she was told.

With about a ten minute practice, she was soon able to walk around the room at a steady pace.

"Good," James said, petting her back. "Good job. Okay, now we've got to get you back into human form. It's easier to change into since you know what it's like. Just think about every part of a human and imagine yourself as that." Lily did so and slowly felt herself becoming more human. Her hooves parted into fingers and toes, and gradually the volume went back to normal. She straightened up and stretched, happy to be back to normal, but at the same time finding herself missing the various scents.

"So," said James. "What'd you think?"

"Amazing," Lily breathed. "It was like…like…"

"Like you were seeing, hearing, and smelling everything for the first time?" James finished, grinning at her. Lily nodded her head and smiled back.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Exactly that." James shrugged and looked down to hide the blush rising in his cheeks. Why, you ask? He had no idea.

"Well," he said. "That's how I felt the first time I transformed, too. Wait until you get outside. Then you'll be bombarded with everything."

"Hm," Lily said thoughtfully. "I'm beginning to look foreword to tonight."

"Yeah, it's usually a lot of fun. It's always fun when the four Marauders come together."

"I almost wish I…" Lily stopped suddenly, aware of what she was about to say. James was too, and he smiled and folded his arms.

"What do we have here?" he said smugly. "Is Ms. Evans beginning to wish she was a Marauder?"

"No!" she said quickly. "I just wish… I could be an animagi, too, someday."

"Well, you never know. Maybe when we go back to our bodies I'll teach you. That is," James smirked at her. "If you think you can handle the pressure of being a rule-breaker." Lily made a derisive noise and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure it's all very complicated," she said wryly.

"I'm serious," James said, grinning at her. "There's a certain art involved. There are three main rules." He held up his index finger. "One, leave no evidence. Two, never get caught. And three, if you do, blame someone else."

"That is so like you!" laughed Lily. "You probably made those up."

"Why thank you," he said, rubbing his nails on his shirt "modestly". "I'm glad you know how to recognize the work of a genius."

"Whatever," she scoffed. "Look, we've probably missed our first class. What time is it?" James checked his watch.

"About eight-forty," he replied. "We have about ten minutes before Transfiguration starts, and there's no point in going to Herbology because we only have five minutes left. You still hungry?" Lily nodded.

"Starving," she grumbled. "And lunch isn't until twelve-thirty!"

"Who says we have to wait that long?" Lily looked at him curiously.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I say we go down to the kitchens and grab something to eat. After all, it's never good to work on an empty stomach."

"I couldn't do that!" cried Lily, shaking her head vigorously. "For one thing, it would be breaking a rule. Two, we would probably be late for Transfiguration, and—" James sighed and shook his head, looking up to the ceiling.

"And you think you could handle being an animgus," he said, half to himself. "Look, we've already missed one class. Why don't we take some time off and go have a full breakfast? Don't tell me you aren't hungry, 'cuz I know you are." Lily opened her mouth furiously, then closed it, trying to think of something to say.

"What about homework?" she said finally.

"Get it from Kate," James answered simply. Lily bit her tongue. She was running out of excuses, and James knew it. Truth be told, a full breakfast sounded great.

But she didn't dare tell James that she agreed with him. She would never hear the end of it.

"It's probably not worth it," she told him. "I wouldn't want to waste my time missing a class for a meal unless I could have three buttermilk pancakes slathered with maple syrup, with a side of three slices of bacon, two pieces of sausage, and two scrambled eggs. Plus, on the side I would want a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, minus the pulp."

"Oh, is that all?" James asked incredulously. "I had that all for a snack last Saturday. It won't be a problem at all for the house elves." Lily's jaw dropped open. She had only said that because she thought it would be impossible for them to cook that up. _Damn, _she thought. _Now I don't have a choice. _James grabbed her wrist and started to drag her to down to the kitchens.

"C'mon, Evans," he said. "It'll be fine. I've ditched my classes loads of times, and look me. I'm perfectly fine."

"That," Lily said scathingly as she let him lead her. "Is all a matter of opinion."

Forty minutes later, Lily sat down in the kitchens, rubbing her stomach as she sat comfortably in the chair. She and James had gone down there and she had eaten exactly the same meal that she had described to him. While she ate, she had to endure James teasing her about her appetite the entire time, and her mouth had been too full of syrup to retort back to him.

By the time they had finished, Transfiguration only had about ten minutes to go. Oddly enough, Lily hadn't regretted what she had done, even though she had broken her first major rule in skipping class. It had been great. Plus, the fact that James had tripped over the table leg and knocked over the orange juice, which spilled all over his shirt had made it all worth it.

Lily sighed contently and closed her eyes. "Although that was nothing short of delicious," she said as the house elves scurried around, collecting the dishes. "My stomach is killing me." James drained the rest of his coffee.

"Well it should," he laughed, setting his cup down. "I can't believe you ate it all! I'm surprised you aren't puking your guts out right now." Lily groaned.

"That is so gross," she said. "Do you have to say that right after I eat?"

"Did it upset you?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then yeah, I do," James answered, grinning at her. He raised his hand up and a house elf came hurrying over.

"Anything else Peely can get for you, miss?" he asked.

"Yeah," James replied politely. "Could I have another cup of coffee, Peely?" Peely bowed low.

"Of course, ma'am," he said eagerly. "Coffee for you will be right up." He ran off to prepare it. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Another one?" she asked disbelievingly. "Potter, that's your _third_ cup of coffee! Don't you think you've had enough?" James shook his head as the cup was plunked down in front of him.

"Nope," he said shortly. He lifted his coffee and took a greedy sip. When he lowered it, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Ahh," he said to himself. "That hits the spot."

"God," snorted Lily. "You're an addict, Potter."

"And you're a nag," he retorted before taking another gulp. Lily waited impatiently as he drank his coffee. She glanced at her watch and saw that there were only about five more minutes until potions started.

"Can we get going, Potter?" she asked. "Potions starts soon, and I don't think it would be wise to be late."

"Relax," he said cheerfully. "We have plenty of time."

"We only have five minutes," she said earnestly. "It'll take about three just to get there, and you know how Howard is! He always finds some excuse to take away points from Gryffindor at the beginning of class." James shrugged his head carelessly and took a bite from a biscuit.

"So it won't make a difference if we're a few minutes late," he reasoned. Lily clenched her teeth to keep her temper. "Come on, live a little."

"Potter," she said quietly, closing her eyes. "I have already missed two classes, one of which I cannot afford to miss. Can we please go now so I don't miss any more?"

"Why would you want to go to potions anyway?" James asked, knowing he was getting to her. "It's spending forty five minutes in a room full of Slytherins." Lily threw an ice cube at his head, and he laughed as he easily ducked out of the way. "Alright, fine! We'll leave," he relented as he chuckled softly. "Jeez, you just can't take a joke, can you?"

"Whatever," Lily muttered as she rose to her feet. "Let's just get going, okay?" She turned to the group of house elves that were bustling around the stove. "Thank you, everyone, for the nice breakfast," she said kindly.

"Oh, you're welcome, Sir!" one said eagerly. "Please, come again!"

"I will," she laughed. "Bye!" James waved at them and followed her out through the portrait door. When it closed behind them, he said, "Hm" very quietly.

But not quiet enough so that Lily didn't hear.

"What was that?" she asked him.

"What?" he said innocently.

"You said 'hm,'" she said suspiciously.

"So?" he argued. "Can't I say 'hm' for no reason?"

"No," Lily said flatly. "What do you mean, 'hm'?"

"Oh, nothing," James said nonchalantly, shrugging a shoulder. "I just thought it interesting when you promised the house elves you would come again. I thought you didn't like to break the rules."

"I didn't promise," Lily said defensively as she turned the corner. "I just said that I would." James pointed at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Ah," he said softly. "But the point is, you said you would. Not maybe, not possibly, but that you would."

"Is there a point you insist on sounding like you know the secrets of the world?" she asked crossly.

"I'm just thinking that you liked coming down to the kitchens."

"So?" Lily demanded.

"Well," James said slowly. "It's just that going to the kitchens involves rule breaking. Apparently you wouldn't mind risking getting caught to come down again. You owe me a thank you." They made their way down the hall to the dungeons room.

"Not on your life," Lily scoffed. "That was a one-time thing, Potter. I'm not doing it again. I'm a prefect and a prefect is—"

"—supposed to live up to his or her duties and be an example for all students under his or her leadership," he finished dully. "I know, Evans, I know. I _have _read the handbook you know."

"You're infuriating, you know that?" Lily said, sliding into her seat.

"Of course I do," he said jovially. Lily rolled her eyes as students slowly streamed into the classroom. Sirius, and Peter came in, and Parker and Kate weren't far behind. Sirius poked her sharply in the back and sat in the seat next to her.

"Where were you?" he whispered. "You weren't in Herbology _or _Transfiguration. McGonagall nearly blew her top when she found that you and Evans were gone."

"She did?" Lily asked worriedly. She groaned and thumped her fist on the desk. "Damn! I knew I shouldn't have gone, I just _knew_ it!"

"Go where?" asked Peter.

"Where do you think, Wormtail!" Sirius said, winking at Lily. "Into a closet of course. Have you finally managed to seduce the lovely Miss Evans, Prongs? Ha! I knew it would only be a matter of time." Lily made a face at him.

"No!" she exclaimed. "That's disgusting, Sirius."

"Where'd you go then?" he asked. Lily looked over to James and saw that he seemed to be getting the same third degree from Parker and Kate. He was smiling and leaning back in the chair lazily. _God, I hope he doesn't say anything stupid, _she thought. _Who am I kidding? Of course he will! _

"James?" Peter said. He waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you there?" Lily shook her head and turned to him.

"Wha'?" Lily said dazedly. "I'm sorry Peter, what was that?"

"Something happened between you and Lily!" Sirius said gleefully, his brown eyes twinkling. "Ooh, what happened? Tell me, tell me!"

"Nothing happened," Lily said firmly, glaring at him. Sirius nodded his head.

"Mhm, Mhm," he said, staring at her. Lily rolled her eyes; he obviously didn't believe her. "So, is she a good kisser?"

"Sirius!" she exclaimed. "We didn't do anything!"

"Right, and does she put her hands in your hair or on your neck? It makes a difference, you know." Lily closed her eyes, ready to throttle the boy in front of her.

"_Sirius!_" Sirius put his hands up defensively.

"Alright, fine!" he laughed. "So if nothing happened, where were you two?"

"In an empty classroom," she responded. Sirius's eyebrows shot up and his mouth began to twitch. Lily gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

That definitely hadn't come out right.

_I did not just say that, I did _not _just say that! _she thought, horrified. Lily waved her hands frantically. "Th-that's not what I meant," she said quickly. "It was nothing like that!" Sirius merely nodded and pulled out his books.

"Right," he said cynically.

"It's wasn't!" Lily said defensively. "It came out completely wrong!" Sirius shrugged.

"Fine," he said simply.

"We were _talking_!"

"I didn't know it was known as _talking_ nowadays," he chuckled. "If it is, you'll have swollen lips by tomorrow from all your…um…" He glanced at her. "_Talking._"

"I mean it, Sirius," Lily told him earnestly. "All we did was talk."

"For nearly two hours?" Sirius asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Without arguing?"

"Yes! I mean, no! Well, we did for the first hour or so, but during that we missed breakfast and I was really hungry so we decided to go down to the kitchens to grab something to eat and of course it took a while to prepare so when we finally got our food it was a big meal so it took a long time to eat and Potter—I mean Evans had _three_ cups of coffee so I was trying to tell her to hurry up because we had to get to class but she insisted that we had plenty of time so five minutes later I got her out of the kitchens and now I'm sitting here telling you that _nothing_ happened between us and nothing ever will and by the way did you happen to get the Transfiguration homework?" Sirius blinked. Lily took inhaled deeply. After all, talking so fast could cause one to be short of breath.

"Okay," said Sirius, looking at her carefully. "First of all, I didn't understand a _word_ you just said. Second, are you on drugs?" Lily groaned and put her face into her hands.

"I'm beginning to consider it," she muttered. They didn't get a chance to say anymore because at that moment, Professor Howard swept into the room, his dark green robes billowing behind him.

"That's enough," he said sharply, effectively silencing the chatter with his deep voice. "Five points from Gryffindor for talking." The Gryffindors groaned softly, but knew better than to say anything more. Everyone knew that if someone stupid enough to challenge Professor Howard, they would be in detention until the end of the seventh year. "Today we'll be working on Rictusempra Potions. It is the same as the spell, except in liquid form. It is used as an cheering charm for those in an advanced state of depression and was first brewed in 1854. _Well_? WHY AREN'T YOU WRITING THIS DOWN?" There was a mad scramble for quills and parchment as Howard continued his lecture.

Fifteen minutes later, it was time to start brewing the potions. "Alright," he said briskly. "Here are the pairs. As soon as I call your name, start gathering your supplies. The instructions—" He pointed his wand at the board and words appeared with a flourish. "—are on the black board. When you're finished you will each take a sip of the potion you brewed. And I mean a _sip_. If not, ten points will be taken away from your house and receive a zero on the assignment."

"P-professor," a timid girl in the front whispered. "How will you know we didn't take a single taste or not?" Professor Howard slammed his book down on the desk.

"Five points for not raising your hand, Ms. Lawson," he said irritably. "And five for asking a pointless question." The Slytherins snickered, not bothering to hide it. "You should only laugh for a few minutes, _if_ you do as instructed. However…" His cold blue eyes scanned the side that the Gryffindors sat on. "I seriously doubt that will happen, considering the amount of talent in this class." The Slytherins laughed again, Lucius Malfoy laughing the loudest. James threw him a look of contept and gripped his wand, trying very hard to keep himself from hexing him. It would be downright rude to interrupt the professor.

He would wait until he was out of class to hex Malfoy (who he affectionately nicknamed 'the pasty-faced weasel').

Professor Howard pulled out a long piece of parchment and began to read off of it. "Simons and Kirkoff…" Parker groaned and looked over to the oafish Slytherin who was looking at her hungrily. "…Black and Powers…" Sirius breathed a sigh of relief. He had been lucky enough to be partnered pu with one of the nicer Slytherin girls. She was considered nice because she only picked on first and second years as opposed to all of the Gryrffindors. "…Winters and Yeats…Patrolski and St. Paul…" Kate rolled her eyes and reluctantly left to gather her materials. "…Evans and Pond…" James sighed deeply. _At least it isn't Malfoy, _he thought. _I definitely pity the poor sap who gets that git. _"Pettigrew and Hopper…" Peter trembled slightly as he timidly made his way over to the big girl who cracked her knuckles menacingly. "Wiseman and Drewson…Potter and Malfoy. Get to work!" Howard disappeared into his office, leaving the students alone. Lily wrinkled her nose distainfully and looked over to Malfoy, who had crossed his arms and stared at her with his grey expressionless eyes narrowed. _Great, _she thought. _Just what I need. _James came over to her on his way back from cabinet, his arms full of vials.

"Ouch," he said sympathetically. "Tough luck, Evans. Let me tell you right now, this class will drag on forever now that you've got him as your partner." Lily slid further down into her seat.

"Don't I know it," she grumbled.

"Potter," drawled Malfoy lazily. "Get over here, I'm not going to wait all day." Lily sighed and stood up. _The sooner we start, _she thought. _The sooner we'll be done. _

Half an hour later, the students walked out of the Potions classroom, many of them clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard. When everyone had sipped the potion, pandemonium had broken out and laughing filled the room, partly because of Lily. Accidentally, (and this truly was an accident), she had added too many daffodil petals to the potion, and Malfoy had ended up laughing for nearly fifteen minutes when they were supposed to only feel the effects for one. Luckily, he had tasted it before Lily had, and she figured the fact that he was laughing harder than the others, that the potion wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Professor Howard, hadn't been pleased, to say the least. He had taken twenty points away from Gryffindor, _and _gave Lily a zero for that day. Lily hadn't found the situation at all funny, but James and Sirius thought otherwise.

"That was great!" howled Sirius, leaning against the wall for support. "I mean, did you see the way Malfoy knocked over that jar of squid legs when he tried to stand up? _Ha-ha-ha! _I think he about pissed his pants from laughing so hard!"

"I know!" James gasped. "And remember how he tried to grab onto Snape's robes to hold himself up and Snape lost his balance, then his hand landed in that scalding pot of water! Oh my God, I laughed so hard I thought _I _had been the one to drink the potion!" Sirius looked at James curiously.

"Not that I mind or anything, Lily," he said, finally calming down. "But why do _you _think this is so funny? Normally you'd be screaming your head off at James for losing us so many points." James shrugged a shoulder and grinned.

"Well," he said. "I just think I need to lighten up a little. You know? Enjoy the little things in life." Sirius clapped a hand on his back and smiled broadly.

"That's the way, Lils," he said jovially. Then he turned to the real Lily, who was staring ahead in some sort of a horrified trance. "Hey, Prongs?" Sirius waved a hand in front of her. "Yo, buddy?" You okay?" Lily turned her head to him slowly.

"I can't believe I did that," she said hoarsely. "I got _so _many points taken away! I'm surprised I didn't get detention! Oh man, and I'm _never_ going to be able to bring my potions grade up after this!"

"What's up with you?" Sirius said, looking at her strangely. "You just made Malfoy laugh for fifteen minutes, knock over a jar of tentacles, and saw Snape burn his hand, yet you're going on about your _grade_? Are you feeling okay?" He put his hand to Lily's forehead and she smacked it away.

"I'm _serious,_" she said. "I'm surprised I didn't get into any more trouble than I did."

"Don't question it, James," Parker said.

"Yeah," agreed Kate. "Just leave it alone." She glanced at the clock. "Okay look, I'm going to get to Arithmancy early." I'll see you guys later." She walked off quickly and disappeared around the corner.

"We should probably get to History of Magic," said Parker reluctantly. "It starts soon. I really regret not dropping it like Kate did." She, Sirius, and Peter started heading towards the classroom, but stopped when Lily and James didn't follow. "Aren't you two coming?"

"Yeah," James said. "In a second." Sirius looked and Lily and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are you going to take her in that classroom over there and have a private _talk _with her, buddy?" he said slyly. James looked confused, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"I told you, Sirius," she groaned. "_Nothing happened. _Try and fit that into your thick head!" Sirius laughed and shook his head.

"Whatever," he said. "Have fun, kids!" He and the others walked to the classroom and as they walked away Lily heard Parker say, "Like _they _would ever make out in a closet, Sirius! Yeah right! We're talking about a pair that bickers like Slytherin and Gryffindor themselves."

"What was that all about?" James asked her when they were out of earshot. "What did he mean by _talking?_"

"Oh nothing," Lily said, shrugging her shoulder. "He's just thinks we did '_talked' _rather than talked." James looked at her blankly for a moment. Then a look of comprehension dawned on his face.

"Oh," he said quickly. "Well, Sirius has always been a bit of an idiot. Don't talk it personally. Hey, and don't get so worked up over potions! It isn't that big a deal and it was bloody hilarious. How'd you do it, anyway? I didn't think you had it in you."

"I don't," Lily snorted as they walked down the hallway. "It was an accident."

"No, really," James pressed. "Why'd you do it?"

"It's no joke, Potter!" she snapped. "I didn't mean to do it!"

"Oh…well, what happened?" Lily looked down and bit her lip.

"Erm…I added seven daffodils petals instead of two," she muttered sheepishly. James gave a snort of laughter, but quickly turned it into a hacking cough at the look at Lily's face.

"Oh, well, that's not funny at all," he said, trying to keep from grinning. "How could you think that was a _seven_?"

"It looked like a seven, alright?" Lily said defensively.

"No wonder Malfoy was laughing so hard! Daffodil petals are what make the person laugh. Jeez, those glasses are supposed to help you see, you know. And weren't you sitting right up front?"

"Look, if that damn writing wasn't so curvy, it wouldn't have happened!"

"Or if it wasn't your lack of potion skills," James snickered as they entered the classroom. "Remind me to never try potion you brew. God, your cooking must be horrid."

"Actually," Lily sniffed. "I can make a bloody good apple pie."

"Are the apples you use poisoned?" James asked. Lily glared at him as she slammed her books on the table.

"What about you? I'll bet you couldn't even make toast!"

"No," James said unabashedly. "I once tried to, but I caught my mum's curtains on fire. But I _can _make cereal."

"Cereal," Lily scoffed. "Honestly."

"The measurements are quite difficult," he continued. "It's half cereal, half milk. Then you put them into a large item, preferably a bowl. Although once, I did use a hat because all of the dishes were dirty. It was before I could do magic, so I didn't know how to clean them." Even though she trying hard not to, Lily started laughing quietly; half at James's jokes, and half at his stupidity. Encouraged by this, James went on. "Then you mix together with stirring utensil. You know, like a spoon? And you can't forget the special ingredient. I mean, the whole meal depends on it. You have to make sure you put in a teaspoon of sugar. It's crucial."

Behind them, Sirius and Parker watched the display between the two "enemies" with bewilderment, yet amusement.

"Hey Sirius," whispered Parker. "What do you see?" Sirius shook his head.

"I see something that could declare me permanently insane."

"Does it by chance involve Lily and James laughing together like they're old friends?"

"That would be it."

"I think you and I should book a room at St. Mungo's. Tonight," Parker said faintly. Sirius leaned close to her and whispered, "If I would be locked in a room with a beautiful girl like you as a roommate, I say, why wait?" Parker rolled her eyes and shoved Sirius away.

"Oh, please," she snorted. "You need to work on your pick up lines if you really think I would ever fall for that crap." Sirius pulled a puppy face and placed a hand over his heart.

"Does that mean you're refusing me, dearest?" he said, acting hurt. "But how can you resist me?"

"Quite easily," Parker said loftily, pulling out her quill. Sirius got a devious look on his face. _Oh, god, _Parker thought. _I hate that look!_

"Even if I do this?" Sirius leaned closer and kissed her softly the cheek, something most girls would die for. But without missing a beat, Parker just swatted him away, as if she was shooing away a fly.

"That just makes it easier," she said simply. All kidding aside, Sirius was shocked. His method had never failed before, and usually when he did that a girl would giggle like a hyena and pull him into a closet. _Hmm…_ he thought. _I must be losing my touch…Yeah, right! She's just stubborn. Intersting…_

"Oh really?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's okay, Parker. I like a challenge." He winked at her. Parker rolled her eyes again and shook her head.

"You need help," she said. "And lots of it." Sirius laughed and began to doodle on a sheet of parchment while Professor Binns droned on in his wheezy voice.

Parker exhaled slowly and propped her elbow on the table, resting her cheek in her hand. She made sure she was facing away from Sirius so that he didn't see her face flame up like a tomato. He still had no idea, and she like it that way.

After all, everyone knew that if you let a player know that you liked him, his head would only inflate more.

**A/N: There is a specific reason why I titled the chapter "Transformation…both in MIND and body". Can anyone guess? Don't forget to review on your way out!  
**

**Until next time,**

**Spirit**


	8. Transforming Ms Evans, Both in Mind and ...

**A/N: So…onto chapter eight! Also, Look at the end for a VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Believe me; you _don't _want to miss it.**

Chapter Eight: Transforming Ms. Evans, Both in Mind and Body, Part Two

Later that evening James sat in a small corner of the Common Room, explaining to Lily all she needed to know for that transformation that night. He reached into a bag and pulled out a silvery cloak.

"Alright, Evans," he said. "This is something that you definitely need for tonight, or else you'll get caught." Lily ran her fingers delicately along the seam.

"I know a cloak will keep me warm, Potter," she said. "But it's so bright that people will be able to see it in the dark." James shook his head. Grinning, he put the cloak over his forearm, and in an instant it disappeared. "Oh my God," Lily breathed, staring at what used to be his arm. "What happened? Where'd your arm go?"

"It's still there," he replied. He pat his arm. "You just can't see it." Lily poked at it curiously and drew back. "It's an invisibility cloak," James explained. "Just cover yourself, Sirius, and Peter with it and you'll be fine." Lily glanced at him skeptically.

"It's not that big, Potter."

"Evans," he reasoned. "I've had this cloak for six years. The others and I have been on loads of nighttime raids and we haven't gotten caught yet."

"The key word is 'yet'." James rolled his eyes.

"God, you're so paranoid," he snorted. "You'll fit, okay?"

"But what if—" Lily began.

"You'll fit," James repeated. Lily was quiet for a moment, and she looked thoughtful.

"Wait a minute," she said slowly. Then her eyes widened and she pointed at James frantically. "Aha!" she cried. "So that's how you do it! That's how you do it _every time, _how you never get caught!"

"Of course," James said casually.

"I'll bet there have been tons many things that you've been behind," Lily continued to fume. "And yet you've never been caught. _Ugh! An invisibility cloak!_ You should be in detention for the rest of your life, Potter! That is _so _like you to weasel your way out of everything before you get caught!"

"Evans," James said in a bored tone, rolling his eyes. "If we sit here talking about my many talents, we'll be here until our graduation. Do you mind if we continue?" Lily crossed her and leaned back into the big chair, scowling deeply.

"Typical," she muttered darkly. "Just typical. You're so pig-headed." James grinned.

"That's quite a compliment coming from you," he told her. "Normally I'm nothing short of a hormone-driven sixteen year old pervert, or he with a head that has more air than a balloon, and my personal favorite, an egotistical asshole who has to share a brain with someone just to recite the A-B-C's."

"Huh," Lily wondered aloud. "I had no idea you heard that last one."

"Of course!" he scoffed. "How could I not? You kind of yelled it right in my ear after I made your food explode in your face at dinner a few months ago. It was worth it, though," he added thoughtfully. "Anyway, back to the point. Sirius and Peter will meet you right outside the portrait door. You'll walk under the cloak down to the Whomping Willow where—"

"I'm not going near that thing!" exclaimed Lily, eyes widened in horror. "I'd like to come back _unharmed _if you don't mind, Potter. If I even went within three of a _branch_, I would come back with more injuries than I did from quidditch practice."

"Don't worry," James assured her. "It was only put there to keep people from poking around where they shouldn't and besides—"

"_I'm _poking around where I shouldn't!" Lily interrupted frantically. "I was under the distinct impression, Potter, that you actually _wanted _to get back into your own body. And guess what? _You can't get back into your body if I'm dead!_"

"Shh!" hissed James, glancing around anxiously. "Keep your voice down! Put it on the front page of the Daily Prophet, why don't you? If you had let me finish, I would have told you that we know how to stop it from moving."

"Oh?" Lily said dryly. "A couple hundred human bones should do the trick, don't you think? Brilliant, Potter" James narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

"No," he said crossly. "For your information, there happens to be a small knob on one of the roots. Peter just presses it and the Willow won't move a leaf."

"Oh, so you'll sacrifice Peter then?" Lily asked innocently. James took a deep breath and put his head into his hands. For a few moments he stayed that way, and Lily thought she heard him mutter a few colorful words. When he emerged, James had his lips tightly pressed together, as if he was trying to keep what he really wanted to say to himself.

"Evans," he said tensely through (very tightly) gritted teeth. "Let me put this into words that someone so simple minded as you can understand. I am an Animagus. Sirius is an Animagus. Peter is an Animagus. Got that so far?" Lily nodded and tried to keep herself from laughing at James's obvious impatience.

"So far," she chirped.

"The animal that Peter turns into is a rat," James slowly continued, talking as if to a three-year-old. "A rat is very small. Small animals, like a rat for instance, are small enough to get by a somewhat violent tree without getting hurt. Just for fun, imagine with me that this tree is called a Whomping Willow. Now think, Evans. If Peter is a rat, and rat is small enough to get by the Whomping Willow unharmed, what does that mean?" Just for her own amusement, Lily decided to play dumb.

"I know that one, I know that one!" she said eagerly, bouncing up and down in her chair. James gave her a long look and nodded. Then Lily said, "Throwing it a body will satisfy its hunger, therefore will stop moving and let the others pass. Is my logic correct, Professor Potter?" James scowled at her as she began to laugh quietly.

"That's not funny," he said grumpily. "It really isn't." Lily bit her lip and tried to compose herself again.

"I thought so," she murmured.

"Well, bully for you," James pouted.

"Oh, lighten up!" Lily said, smirking at him. "It was just a joke. No need to throw a tantrum about it."

"I'm not throwing a tantrum!" James protested childishly.

"Looks like a tantrum to me," she commented. James stuck his tongue out her, unable to think of anything else to do. "Oh, _that's_ mature," Lily snorted. "Are you sixteen or six?" James glared at her.

"You're aggravating me on purpose, aren't you?" he asked. Lily folded her arms.

"Remind you of anyone?" she asked pointedly.

"Certainly not myself. You know, Evans, if you want to make sure people don't catch on about our little dilemma and act like me, you're going to have to act less like…well, _you_ and more suave and debonair." Lily rolled her eyes and grunted loudly.

"Who do you think you are, Prince Charming?" James raised his eyebrows and the corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

"He learned all he knows from me," he drawled.

"You're hopeless," Lily sighed, shaking her head at him.

"Why thank you. Gee, you're getting better and better at this complimenting thing. Have you been taking lessons?"

Lily gave a short, loud laugh, stopped abruptly and said, "No."

James chuckled softly for a moment before saying, "Okay. It's now 5:45. At six o'clock, you're to meet Peter and Sirius right outside the portrait door. When you get outside you'll put on the cloak and walk down to the Whomping Willow. Then you'll transform and go through the tunnel that leads to the Shrieking Shack and stay there until morning. Any questions?"

"Yeah," replied Lily. "What do you do while you're down there? Can I take a book?"

"You can't exactly turn pages with hooves, Evans."

"I know that! But I can read when I change—" James shook his head vigorously.

"No," he said firmly. "That's the most important thing you have to remember, Evans. You _can't _be in human form while Remus is a werewolf."

"Why?" she asked. "He's really nice. His personality can't change, right?"

"Wrong. Remus isn't himself. He's really dangerous when he's in werewolf form. His animal instincts take over. Remus could bite you, and then you would become a werewolf, too." Lily's eyes widened fearfully and shook her head from side to side.

"No," she said. "I changed my mind, I'm not going. I loved being in animal form and everything, but not enough to make it permanent!"

"Relax, Evans," James assured. "He's only dangerous to _humans_."

"What am I, an alien!" James smirked at her.

"Well, _I've_ always believed so—" Lily glared at him. "—but when you're an Animagus and you transform, you are an animal through and through. Don't worry; Remus won't hurt you." Lily made a derisive noise and folded her arms.

"If I come back with any injuries, physical or mental, you will receive my hospital bill." James nodded.

"Dully noted," he said seriously.

Lily was quiet for a moment before saying, "So, what will you be doing tonight?" James shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know," he answered.

"I'm not going to be around to baby-sit you, so it had better be something I approve of." James glared at her.

"Who are you, my mother?"

"No, just your keeper," Lily replied smartly. "You definitely need one."

James's scowl deepened. "Funny, Evans," he grumbled. "Real witty. If you must know, _keeper, _I was planning on going down to the kitchens for a little snack. I'm already done with my homework. Maybe I'll go read or something." Lily snorted and raised a skeptical eyebrow,

"You?" she scoffed. "_You _are going to go read?"

"Yes," James said defensively. "Is there a problem with that? Or do I need a permission slip?"

"Sorr-_ee_," said Lily, leaning back a bit. James rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"Look, it's six o'clock. Go on and meet Sirius and Peter. You don't want to be late." Lily nodded and rose to her feet. "And remember," James added as she turned away. "Don't—"

"Yeah, yeah," Lily interrupted, waving an impatient hand. "I know. Don't transform around Remus while he's a werewolf. I got it. See you later."

"Bye." Lily took a deep breath and walked through the portrait door. Right before it closed, James heard Sirius say, "Hey, Prongs, you ready?" James sighed again put his head in his hands. _I really hope she doesn't screw this up, _he thought. After a moment, he stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked out of the Common Room. True to his word, he was headed down to the kitchens for a snack, something that everyone else would call a meal.

As James made his way down, he thought about the conversation that had taken place between him and Lily earlier that day. The words that he had shouted echoed in his head… _I know what it's like to feel different and lonely! _James turned the corner and a pensive expression took over his features.

Not many people knew about that. So why had he said it? _It was just in the heat of the moment, _he reasoned with himself. _She deserved to be told off. Evans never should have assumed…_

Assumed what, though?

James tickled the pear on the fruit painting. When it swung opened, the house elves stopped rushing around, looking like Christmas had arrived early.

"Miss Evans!" cried one of them in her high-pitched voice, clapping her hands in delight. "You comes back so soon!" James smiled faintly,

"Yeah, Opal," he said kindly. "I couldn't resist. The food's too good." Opal bowed low.

"Miss Evans is too nice, miss," she said shyly. "What would Miss Evans like?"

"I'm just looking for a snack, so all I want is some fried chicken, a side of mashed potatoes with gravy, a bit of macaroni and cheese, biscuits with some butter, and a slice of pumpkin pie. Oh, and a cup of coffee." Opal laughed.

"Miss Evans has an appetite like Mr. Potter," she said, smiling at him. "Miss Evans's food will be right up."

"Thank you," replied James. But by the time he had started the sentence, the house elves had already begun to fix his plate(s). Within thirty seconds, one of them had placed a cup on the table along with a large pot full of black coffee. James smiled thankfully and poured the coffee into a cup.

Then he placed it aside and took a greedy gulp out of the pot.

"Ahh," he breathed happily, eyes closed. "That feels nice…"

A few moments later the house elves set two plates on the table, piled high with the food James had requested. He took a bite out of the chicken and once again started to reflect.

That's what most people didn't know about James Potter.

Although he had a side that always joked around, James could also be very quiet. There were times when he would become silent, just thinking about…everything. Everything from the way the snow covered the castle like a delicate blanket, to why some birds could fly and others couldn't (he had yet to find the answer to that particular question).

Yet, no one ever saw this side of him.

No one but Sirius and Remus, anyway. They knew that their friend could sometimes get into a mood and he needed to be left alone. And James knew that he could always count on them to do so. No one else understood. Not even Peter, and _certainly _not those girls who were always throwing themselves at him; winking at him so often he wondered if they suffered from ticks. Sure, he liked the attention, but kissing could only entertain a person for so long.

…_I know what it's like to be different…_

Indeed he did.

Although being a descendent of one of the four founders was something he was proud of, it did have its downsides. For one thing, he didn't know who he could trust with such a secret, so he had resolved not to tell anyone. Not even Sirius, who was like a brother to him.

No, he hadn't told a soul about the diary of Godric Gryffindor, which was locked away in the library at home. Nor about the cabin that Gryffindor himself had lived in called Godric's Hollow, or how a special preservation spell had kept it looking as well as the day it had been built one thousand years before.

James sighed and took another sip from the coffee pot. As he stared into the roaring fire, he remembered how his number of friends had been limited when he was younger, due to the fact that he was always showing traces of powerful magic at a young age. Usually, witches and wizards didn't show signs of any magic until the ages of ten and eleven, which was about the time they received their Hogwarts letters. James however, had been able to do small things ever since he could walk. When he was one and a half, he had made a lollipop levitate over to him when his mother had put it away. _Even when I was younger I always found a way to get what I wanted, _James thought wryly.

Then there was the time when he was four and had made his vegetables splatter all over the walls because he hadn't wanted to eat them, and when he was seven, he had made another boy's hair turn pink when he had made fun of his glasses…the list went on.

His father had said that it was wisest to keep his abilities under wraps.

"If it ever was to get out," he had told him and his mother. "There would be long term consequences that could easily get out of hand. An investigation would be called by the ministry, to make sure foul play wasn't behind it. It would be all over the Daily Prophet. We would never have a moment's peace. We mustn't tell anyone."

And they hadn't.

James hadn't been able to hang around too many kids, as a caution that his ability to do magic at an early stage would become known. Sirius had been an exception. Marian Potter had put her foot down, saying that James needed at least one friend who he could trust.

James smiled faintly at the memory of his mother, who was five-foot-four, shouting at his father (standing at six-three) who cowered and quickly gave in. No one, no matter how tall or strong, had been able to stand up to Mrs. Potter when she became angry.

James shook his head and grinned, taking a bite out of his potatoes.

_Thanks mum_.

Unlike James, Lily was _far_ from relaxing.

In a word, she was panicking.

The closer she, Sirius, and Peter came to the Whomping Willow, the more nervous she became. _What if I mess up? _she thought frantically. _What happens if I can't transform. Or worse, I transform into half human, half stag! Or even _worse_, what if I can't change back! _Lily groaned quietly.

"What was that, James?" Peter asked her, tripping over the bottom of the cloak.

"Nothing," Lily said quickly. "I didn't say anything." Still walking, Sirius turned his head to look at her curiously.

"Are you okay, Prongs?" he asked. "You don't look so good." But Lily didn't hear him. She was rapidly chanting the things James had told her under her breath.

"Don't transform around the werewolf…think of every essence of the stag…think of ever essence of a human…don't transform around the werewolf…think of every essence of the stag…" Peter looked to Sirius, who just shrugged and kept walking. When they got within a twenty foot radius of the Whomping Willow, Sirius tugged off the cloak.

"Okay, Peter," he said, a little breathless from walking. "Go ahead." Peter nodded, and Lily watched in amazement as he turned into a rat in the blink of an eye. He scurried behind tree, and a moment later it stopped all movement. Not even a leaf was left in motion.

"It's gonna stay like that, right?" Lily asked Sirius, staring up at the willow apprehensively. Sirius looked at her strangely.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's not going to…like, move while we're down there, will it?" Sirius stared at her and leaned in closely. He gazed into Lily's eyes so intensely, she thought for sure he had figured out that she wasn't the real James.

"I knew it," he said slowly. Lily took a step back.

"You kn-knew what?" she asked worriedly.

"Don't lie to me," Sirius scoffed. Lily held her breath. "You've been drinking fire whiskey again, haven't you, Prongs?" Slowly, Lily exhaled. "Why didn't you get _me _any!" Sirius exclaimed, whacking her on the shoulder. "Haven't you ever heard the saying that sharing is caring?"

"Sirius," Lily said, a little calmer. "That would be _illegal_."

"Right, like that's stopped you before," he snorted. Lily opened and closed her mouth, but refrained from saying anything. _Ooh, is Potter going to hear from me, _she thought furiously. "Look," continued Sirius. "We'll talk about this later. Hurry up, we have to get down there." Sirius changed from a boy into a shaggy haired, big, black dog. He crouched low and made his way down the tunnel, leaving Lily standing by herself in the dark night. So she started to do something to calm her nerves. Something that always worked.

She began to talk to herself.

"Okay," she said, forcing herself to be calm. "Okay, calm down, Lily. Everything will be fine. This time tomorrow, you will be all snug and warm on your…couch. Safe and sound, and back in human form with no scars…well, not anything physical at anyway. You can do this. You _can _do this. _You _can do this." Lily could almost hear James say, _So do it then and stop talking to yourself like you're mental. _She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and remembered the words James had told her when she had transformed for the first time. _Think of every part of the stag…every hoof…every point on its antlers…every hair on its back…_

Lily felt her shape shifting and before she knew it, she was a stag. She opened her eyes, and breathed (or rather, snorted) a sigh of relief. Slowly and carefully, she made her way through the hole. To her surprise, she could still see in the dark as if it was daylight. _Must be an improvement, _she thought. She picked up on Sirius's scent (a mix of dog and a hint of cologne) and followed it as if she would a trail in the forest.

Lily followed her nose and came to a door that was slightly open. She could tell by the sounds that were coming from that room that she had come to the right place. After a moment of debating, she decided to face her fear. Holding her head low (so that she could use her antlers in case she needed to) she forced her way into the room.

She had expected to see a ferocious animal, tearing everything in sight, but what she saw was a dog and what looked like a slightly different type of dog (which was Remus) playfully wrestling in the corner. She looked over to the bed, and saw Peter munching on a slab of cheese. _Well, this won't be so bad_, Lily thought to herself. _It might actually be…fun. _

Early the next morning Lily, Sirius, and Peter crept into the Common Room, tip-toeing as not to wake anyone. Remus had gone to the Infirmary to recover, and Lily had been surprised to find that it hadn't been so bad being in the company of a werewolf, a dog, and a rat. Throughout the night, she had sat quietly in the corner, while Sirius chased around the spiders that infested the room, or while Remus chewed on a bone. Peter just sat on the bed and ate cheese. _Hmm, _Lily had thought. _I suppose he's useless as an animal, too. _Sirius had tried to get her to play-fight many times, but when Lily had jabbed him with her antlers, he got the point and left her alone.

All in all, Lily thought it had been an okay night. The only downside was that she could barely keep her eyes open.

"G'night Sirius," she muttered through a yawn.

"G'morning, James," he replied cheerfully. Lily looked at him strangely.

"What?"

"I said, good morning," Sirius repeated. "It's nearly five o'clock. See you in three hours." He clapped her on the back and bounded up the steps. _He has way too much energy, _Lily thought. She sleepily made her way over to the couch, where James was snoozing soundly.

"Hey," she whispered, poking at him. He still didn't wake up. Lily sighed and took off her shoes before trying again.

"Potter," she said a bit louder. "Wake up!" James didn't do anything but make a quiet snort and roll over onto his side. Lily grinned as a plan hit her. She leaned close to his ear and took a deep breath.

"POTTER!" she yelled. James gave a small yelp and sat upright with his eyes wide open, colliding heads with Lily.

"Present!" he cried, looking around in every direction. When he spotted Lily rubbing her forehead and wincing in pain, he glowered at her.

"That's your own fault, you know," he said grumpily, rubbing his eyes. "You should never wake a person like that. It could cause traumatic scarring."

"That's _sleep-walking, _you twit," Lily snapped. James glanced at his watch and glared at Lily.

"One _could _cause traumatic scarring when she wakes up a person at _ten to five_! What's the matter with you!"

"I just wanted to tell you that everything went well with the transformation." James closed his eyes and lay back down.

"Evans," he said as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. "You have problems if you think telling me that was worth waking me up at this ungodly hour. _Serious_ problems."

"So," Lily said, ignoring his comment. "What did you do?" James heaved great sigh.

"I went to the Blue Torch in Hogsmeade and downed shots," he told her in a dull tone. "Then I came back here and passed out. I have no recollection whatsoever of anything after about seven. So if your stomach begins look a bit large within the next nine months I apologize in advance. And you might want to talk to a bloke named Luke." Unfortunately, Lily didn't pick up on his sarcasm.

"Potter!" she cried.

"Relax," he said tiredly. "All I did was go down to the kitchens for awhile." Lily breathed a sigh of relief.

"So…you didn't, like…?" James's eyes flew open and he fixed her with a disgusted look.

"No!" he exclaimed. "God, are you mental! I may look like a girl at the present moment, but I am a boy through and through. I have a distinct memory of telling you that I don't row in that boat." Lily shrugged.

"You never know," she muttered.

"Well, _I _do," James said indignantly. He closed his eyes again and snuggled deeper into the covers. "Now either go away or go to sleep. I find your useless chatter annoying. It's amazing how you have the talent to go on and on and yet never say anything. I thought only Sirius could do that." Lily snorted and lay down as well, scowling at James's sharp remark.

"_That's_ nice," she huffed.

"No," James replied smartly. "_That's _tired."

**A/N: Ahh…and there's chapter eight for ya'! It was actually fun to write. I'm experiencing another bout of the dreaded Writers Block for the next chapter, so forgive me if it comes out a bit late. Enjoy this chapter everyone, and don't forget to review!**

**Until next time,**

**Spirit **


	9. Quidditch Practice, Take Two

**a/n****: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Runs around room screaming …then runs into a wall* I HAVE SEEN THE POA TRAILER!!!!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S AMAZING!!!! THERE'S THIS…AND THEN THERE'S THIS THING…WITH THIS OTHER THING…AND THIS SONG PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND WITH THIS…THIS….THIS THING!!! You can't miss it so since I can't explain it in a way that would do it justice, the link to the place where I saw it is on my bio page! *exhales VERY deeply***

**Okay, now that I'm sober…somewhat anyway…**

**Thanks to everyone for all of the awesome reviews (I almost passed out when I saw the number 214, no joke) and for waiting (im)patiently for the next installment for AWIYS *grin* Here it is! You know the drill, scroll down and find your name on the list, I replied to everyone. SPECIAL NOTES FOR ****SZELIJ****, **ASHY******, AND ****TINKERBELLE07** RIGHT BEFORE THE CHAPTER BEGINS!****

**Mirage: I'm glad you like it! James has his period next chapter, so you don't have much longer to wait!  
**AshleyPorter******: Here it is!  
**Nat: **Thanks for thinking so, but I also count myself as lucky to have as many as I do now. When I posted this, I thought I wouldn't get any further than about 20 reviews for the entire story!**

**Elven**** Dagger: Wow! Thanks for all of the compliments! I'm glad I can make you laugh. There are even more conflicts coming up…well, you'll see the intro to them at the end of the chapter!  
**Teddo******: I have NO clue when they will switch back exactly, but I do know how! I'm not sure how they'll fall in love yet, but I know what is going to lead to it after they switch back…I know that sounds really vague, but even if I did know, I couldn't give away the surprise element!**

**Valerie: Cool! I'm glad you like it, and look out for my emails!**

**Elfy**** 19: Don't worry! I'll always update, and I'll never abandon this story. However, I do seem to have a bit of trouble figuring out when I update. So bear with me if it takes a while!**

**Stargirlr****: Thank you! And here's chapter number nine. I hope you enjoy it!**

**CarameLisSa****: Yeah, I'm looking forward to writing that chapter, which is the next one! Everything I wish could happen to a guy is going to happen to James when he has his "visit", and there will be no mercy! *evil laugh* anyway, I totally agree with you about Lily loosening up. She will eventually, so don't give up on her. **

**Mycatjake****: I am DEFINITELY not going to abandon this! The reason it takes me a while to update is because I'm writing the next chapter, and usually they are REALLY long (this one was 25 pages). Then I have to give it to my BETA. Luckily she goes to the same school as me, and we're friends so she finishes it really quickly. But then I have to correct everything, and then I reply to my reviewers (I always take the time to do that! It's the least I could do!). So that's why it takes me a while. Really sorry about that. Since this one is so long, it should hold you for a bit!**

**Gizelle****: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter. Things are starting to get a little more chaotic, and James and Lily are beginning to understand each other more.**

**Luna Moonglade: Right, no pressure at all…*grabs paper bag and breathes deeply***

**Loser-me-ushi: I'm glad you think so, and I'll try!**

**HarryPotterSNL****: thank you for all the compliments! I'll email you when I update, don't worry! You know, when I read your name, I just imagined the characters of Harry Potter doing something like Saturday Night Live, you know dressing up as different characters and performing skits. How hilarious would that be? If there is anyway to write a fic about that, someone should try…hmm…about a million light bulbs in my head just went on…*looks crafty and rubs hands together***

**Doneril****: Hmmm…I like those ideas…I like them a lot! I haven't decided about Lily finding out about James's history, but there will be a point where James finds out about Lily a bit more…but that won't be for a while!  
**Vamperfly******: Thanks for explaining about MWPP, although, I am still VERY confused about the whole "gothic elf" thingy. Could you explain a bit more?**

**Fawn: Hell has indeed frozen over and in the future, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor will become lovers, if you catch my "oh so subtle" hint…***grin***… **

**Lovehp224: Thanks so much! Lily and James are slowly getting their acts together and growing up…VERY slowly, but they _are _on the road!**

**Elvencherry07: You hit the diaper thingy right on point! I'm going to have this thing where he's walking all funny and Lily has to tell him not to…there will be more, but I can't give it ALL away. Where would the element of surprise be? GONE that's where!**

**Ggyy: I can never tell when I will, but I always do!  
**Sasammi******: OMG, I wish! It's funny that you mention that because I sometimes wish I was, so I take that as a definite compliment!  
**Icemint******: I'm so glad this can make you both laugh _and_ think, because I think there needs to be serious moments as well as funny ones. As for it being perfect…*blushes* you can thank my BETA for making my fic perfect, cuz when I write it there are tons of errors! **

**Frozen in Motion: I'm glad you think so! Wait until I _really get going…*looks crafty and laughs*_**

**Rena-Chan: Hmmm…I'm not really sure about the mac and cheese thing, but if you know, will you tell me? Then again, maybe it's best that I don't know, cuz I think it's lame to try and sound British when I'm not. Anyway, I hadn't thought about doing the snape thingy, because I think I'm going to leave that up to JKR…she could do it a WHOLE lot better than me…then again, I just came up with an idea that concerns that as I write this, so don't hold me to that!**

**Allie: Thanks!  
**Autumn Darkness: **Yeah, it is starting out slow, but more will happen in the future that you definitely don't want to miss!  
**KawaiinessPnay******: Thanks for clearing that up!  
**Anne-Evans89: **Yeah, I can't wait to write it!  
**Lyra******: That is sooooo cool! I wish I could live in England, just so I could be the one with the accent for once. I know I have one, but since I can't hear it, it's like I don't have one at all. This is going to be a weird question, but can you describe the American accent to me? I'd really like to know! (oh, and a small note: we don't all talk like scarlett o'hara and cowboys…that's a common misconception.)**

**Alison Hershey: I'm glad you liked that chapter, cuz I thought I could have done much better writing it!**

**SMAC: Yeah, when I decided to write this, I was determined not to make it that type of fic because, a: it's way too overdone. b: it's corny as well as confusing. So, I wanted to make it a bit more drawn out. Oh, and I understand about the "too lazy to review thing", cuz I totally do that myself1  
**Imalil2sarcastic: **Ohmygod, I LOVE sarcasm! If you asked any of my friends they'd tell you that too. Everyone in my family is like that, so I guess I get it from them (that and swearing like a sailor). *grin* By the by, count your blessings about not getting any symptoms…*knock on wood* (BETA COMMENT: Spirit loves sarcasm!)**

**Just a Girl: Thanks for the support!  
**Lavender Baby: **So sorry about distracting you from your homework! If it makes you feel any better, this is distracting me from my classes since I use History class to write it…VERY bad habit by the way. Don't follow my example. And thanks for the support about the copying story fiasco. Now I just hope she won't get pissed and report me!  
**PVBookworm******: Ahhh, faithful PVBookworm…thanks for the suggestion, and I'll try to avoid that in the future!**

**K[r]ube: Hmmm…just for you, I added a little something that you might like. As you read, keep a lookout for a small not for you!__**

**Mintytoothpick****: oh, it will be…tho probably not for James! *wink wink*  
**FairySprinkles******: Thank you!**

**Pixie5252: I liked your story! Thanks for dedicating the chapter to me. I feel so loved!**

**Sailor Kat: Yeah, I'm having fun writing something humorous rather than serious! One of the perks is that you get really funny reviews!  
**Heather: **The period incident should be coming up within the next few chapters!  
**Dumbledore: **I'm glad I can make you laugh!**

**Lana-la-banana: Ooh, you did your research! Thanks for the support. Enjoy this chapter!  
**TheSilverLady******: Although James won't die when he gets his period, he'll probably wish he could! LOL**

**Squirrel Maiden of Green: Ooooh…*looks VERY interested* I liked this idea so much, that I just couldn't pass it up. It's in this chapter! Check out the disclaimer!  
**Arrianna****** Alarch Flodyn: You might keel over from laughing, but you're name sounds really cool, kinda like it came out of LORD OF THE RINGS, you know, elvish. Thanks for liking this story!  
**A.M.bookworm247: **Beware of the Teachers!  
**Amandinka******: Thanks for putting me on the fave's list! And I DEFINITELY won't let you down, although I never know how often it'll be that I update!  
**Evilryokojesseandfiend******: *shakes head* Tsk, Tsk…but hey, do what you gotta do to read! BTW, does this person _know _that you're sharing an account? If not, you must be a genius to figure out how to do it!__**

**Ping*****pong5: Oh, I'm glad you like by bio! I added a few more quotes to it, and there are some serious (gasp!) ones there too. And yeah, my friend really did say that, but when she did, she hadn't realized how it sounded! But uh, *cough, cough*, there's something that I said that I'm not too proud of. Go check it out! I'll probably be adding some more every so often, so keep checking.**

**Agloechen****: Whew, I'm glad you say that because I think if I made them stay in each other's bodies for a month, I would run out of ideas and it would get boring. So it wont be that long, don't worry! Also, I have know clue when the romance will fit in. I'm just thinking as I go along. I know how the romance will start, and I know how the story will end, but I don't know (all of) the details in between. I'm sort of just winging it!**

****lover**789: **Yeah, I'm a believer of Harry/Ginny as well, but I don't read them on ff.net because I'm going to leave it up to JKR!  
**Antoniaeast****: And I can't wait to write it! It should be in the next few chapters.**

**SiriusVeela****: Glad you like the chapter, and thanks for the support!  
**Tashmania******: Thank you, thank you, thank you for answering my question! I have always wanted to know it. Also, thanks for noting that fact that it depends on where we live (I live on the west coast), because I've heard that people around the world think that we all sound like Scarlett O'hara and Cowboys (which we don't. Only people in the southern states do). Interesting how it sounds twangy…one day I'm going to listen really hard to hear it, although I'm not sure it will do much good. And I'm glad it isn't just me who is obsessed! I wish I could hear you do your imitation just to see what it's like. If I ever have a friend who is English (do you prefer 'English' rather than 'British'?), I'm going to ask him or her to teach me how to talk with an accent like that!**

**MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus: I saw the trailer and Sirius doesn't look ANYTHING like I imagined. I imagined him as much better looking! Although I did see one picture of him in another movie, and he looked a lot more like Sirius. However, I think they made him look like he's some sort of crazy person rather someone with a haunted past.**

**Drae****: Oh make him suffer, I will. **

**IndianGurl****: Blech indeed!  
**LilynJamesAAF******: Glad you do!  
**Angelbud2233: **Of course I shall. Okay here's the deal: All this time lily has thought that James was nothing but pervert with a head as big as a hot air balloon, and James getting upset and defending his friends shows that he has a sensitive side as well as one as a jokester, so she's just realizing that and changing her opinion of him. She still thinks he's an asshole, but now she knows there's more to that. Did I explain it okay?  
**Littlx1: **Thanks!  
**RomeoSirius******: You know, for some reason, I don't feel upset about your review…So don't worry! I did read OoP (in exactly 24 hours to be exact). And since this isn't written by J.K Rowling, it automatically is going to be out of character because these aren't the same characters that she created. **

**I'm an Angry Lazy Gumball: *snort* I'm still laughing at your creativity in your name! Do you add a different emotion each time? i.e.: I'm an Angry Tired Gumball, I'm an Angry Bored Gumball, I'm an Angry Silly Gumball…okay, I'd better stop before this gets out of hand!  
**Ruth3:** Yes, ice cream is the cure for everything wrong in the world. We need a little less hate and lot more ice cream. **

**Okay, here are some EXTRA special things I had to reply to:**

**SZELIJ****: I had NO clue that you were a guy! I didn't know guys liked to read this stuff, so I'm really glad you like the story! I have a bunch of questions out of sheer curiosity, and you don't have to answer them if you don't want. **

**1.) My friend reading over my shoulder wants to know if your name is Russian, and if not, what country is your name from?**

**2.) I really want to know this one…and it's going to sound like I'm boy hunting, and I hope you know I'm not, but how old are you? (again, you don't have to answer!) **

**3.) I really hope you'll still be reading this when the whole romance stuff fits in. In case you're wondering, there won't be any sappy crappy dialogue, such as "I think I liked you all along I just didn't want to admit it…" or "I'm so sorry I've been a jerk. I just didn't know how to get your attention, blah blah blah, I've loved you ever since I set eyes on you." (I just cringed as I wrote that btw.) It won't be anything like that because I think it's sick and wrong. *grin***

**4.) Did I do the whole bludger thing accurately? I don't have any brothers or guy friends to tell me so I hope I didn't blow it out of proportion. (_is the pain an exaggeration?!)_**

If you think you're happy to be a guy now, wait till you read the rest. Not only will James get his period, but he will have to go on a date with a guy _and_ get ready for the date (hint: the statement that beauty knows no pain is nothing but a crock). I am _TOTALLY_ dedicating those chapters to you so you know just how much we girls do to impress the male species!

**BIG SHOUT OUT TO ASHY!!!!! Hey, glad you like the story Ashy. I hope this chapter makes you laugh!**

**And Last but DEFINITELY not least, I want to dedicate Chapter Nine to TINKERBELLHP07. I am so sorry about your loss and the fact that this cheered you up has got to be the best compliment that I had ever received. **

And now, onto Chapter Nine!  
 

**Disclaimer: **I never do these things because I am obviously not JK Rowling because if I had billions of dollars from writing I wouldn't be here, now would I? The only reason I'm writing this is because there is part that came from one of my **AWESOME **reviewers, **SQUIRREL MAIDEN OF GREEN!!!!** She gave me the idea of doing the part in the transfiguration class…so if you like it, thank her! Also, you'll be very happy at the end of the chapter. James is finally getting what he deserves!

Chapter Nine: Quidditch Practice, Take two…Three…Four…

            The next morning, the gang sat at in the Great Hall eating breakfast before their classes. At least, _most _of them were eating. Poor Lily had tried to keep her eyes open, but instead she ended up falling asleep in her oatmeal. Quite literally, as her hand was in the bowl. Parker prodded at her carefully.

            "Is he okay?" she asked worriedly. She drew her hand back quickly when Lily snorted in her sleep. "Do you think we should wake him?" James laughed softly. _We had better get back to our bodies soon, he thought to himself amusedly. _Being her is a piece of cake, but I don't think she can handle being me for too much longer. _(**A/N: we'll see who can handle being who for much longer, won't we? *devious grin***) _

            "Nah," he told Parker. "Let's leave her that way. If we're lucky he'll still be asleep by the time we leave." Kate rolled her eyes.

            "That's so typical of you, Lily," she said, although she was grinning. "You would leave James behind even if it meant he was at the mercy of a million dementors, and vice versa." James gasped and held a hand to his heart dramatically. 

            "I would never!" he cried. "That would be cruel and inhumane. I would only leave her—I mean _him_— behind if there were ten thousand. Any more than that would be just plain wrong." Kate just sighed and shook her head as she watched James take a bite out of his eggs.

            "You two are hopeless," she said. Remus snorted.

            "You're just figuring that out now?" he asked disbelievingly. "Where have _you been for the last six years?" _

            "She's been in the dream world," replied Sirius. "The one in which Lily and James sort out their disagreements calmly and rationally like mature adults."

            "Ooh," breathed Kate. "Big words, Sirius. Did it hurt?"

            "No why would…? Hey!"

            "Do you think Lily and James will ever get along?" mused Peter aloud.

            "No," they all answered, James included. 

            "The day they get along," said Remus. "Is the day Sirius gets married." Sirius looked confused.

            "But I thought I told you," he told Remus. "I'm not getting married because I would miss out on all of the single women, and that it would be a waste of life." Remus looked at him pointedly, and look of comprehension finally dawned on Sirius's face. "Oh," he said slowly, nodding his head. "I get it." Remus rolled his eyes.

            "To this day I wonder how you passed the first year," he muttered. Sirius stuck his tongue out at him childishly. "And I don't think I'll ever know the answer," Remus added. 

            "Can you imagine twenty years from now," said Parker. "At our reunion, they'll still be bickering like three year olds."

            "She always starts it," James said indignantly.

            "Maybe they'll never grow up," she continued as if she hadn't heard.

            "Excuse me," James interjected loudly. "I'm six foot three, thank you very much." Sirius snorted loudly.

            "Right, Lily," he said sarcastically. "Closer to six inches three centimeters is more like it." 

            "One would think," said Kate. "That after six years, Lily and James would learn to live in the same building, but I suppose that's just a bit too much to expect from those two."

            "Oh, thank you," James interrupted sardonically. "It's not like I'm sitting right next to you, listening to everything you say. It's not like I have feelings or anything, so don't worry." 

            "What was that, Lils?" joked Sirius. James scowled at him.

            "In case you haven't noticed," he said grumpily. "There isn't any laughter coming from my mouth_._" Being the logical one, Remus was the person to calm things down.

            "Chill, Lily," he said. "We're only kidding."

            "Who's kidding?" Parker muttered. 

            "Come on, you guys," Remus continued, gathering his things. "We've gotta go to Transfiguration. I hear we're transfiguring water into candles." They all stood up and started walking out of the Great Hall. James stayed behind, looking at Lily with a very mischievous grin on his face.

Remus looked back at him and called, "Hey, Lily! Aren't you coming?" 

"I'll be there in a minute," James said. "Just give me a moment to wake up Potter." Remus gave him suspicious look.

"Whatever," he said. "Just don't do anything that'll land him in the hospital wing for more than a few days, okay?" With that said, he ran to catch up with the others, leaving James alone with Lily. Biting down a laugh, he slowly got up from his seat and went over to her. _This'll teach her not to wake me up, _he thought gleefully. 

Being careful not to breathe too loudly James bent close to her ear, ignoring the curious stares he was receiving from other people. He took a really deep breath…

"OY, POTTER!!!!" 

Big mistake.

Lily gave a loud yelp and shot up, knocking heads with James. Since her hand was still in the oatmeal bowl, she had slammed it down in surprise and caused the bowl to flip with a loud _CLANK_, splattering James with all of the contents. 

The students around started to laugh. Lily looked frantically in every direction, and when she spotted James, she clapped a hand over her mouth. His head was covered in what used to be Lily's breakfast. It was dripping down his face, onto his shoulders, and on the floor. He was _not _looking happy. 

Lily gave a snort of laughter, but bit her tongue. "You know, Potter," she said, barely containing her mirth. "If you wanted to know how to make a mask out of oatmeal, you could have asked me. Here's a hint." She leaned closer and whispered loudly. "You only put it on your face." 

James's scowl deepened. "_Not _funny," he said menacingly. Lily laughed and wiped her hand on a napkin.

"You're right," she said. "It's not funny. It's hysterical. That should teach you not to wake people up so suddenly." 

"That's what I was trying to teach _you!_" he exclaimed. Lily looked at him over his  glasses (the ones on her face) and clucked her tongue.

"Tsk, tsk, Potter," she scolded playfully. "Haven't you heard of using your words?" James took a step toward her, trying to look intimidating. Since he was only about five-six at the present time, it didn't quite work.

"Oh, I'll _use my words," he threatened. Lily knew very well what he meant, but she was having _way _too much fun to quit now. _

"I accept your apology," she said promptly.

"I wasn't going to say _those_ words," James said through clenched teeth. "What I'm thinking of involves a slightly more _advanced vocabulary." Lily grinned at him, enjoying the fact that his face was becoming redder and redder by the second. _

"Don't choke," she chirped. "I don't know how to perform the Heimlich maneuver." James glared at her and scooped up a handful of oatmeal out of another bowl. Just as he was pulling back his arm and taking aim, a cheerful voice sounded behind him.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter," it said. James closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his lips together. _Damn,_ he thought ruefully. He slowly turned around and smiled.

"Good morning, Professor," he replied innocently. Professor Dumbledore grinned at him, his blue eyes twinkling amusedly.

"What were you doing with that oatmeal, Mr. Potter?" he asked curiously. (**A/N: remember a few chapters ago? Dumbledore already knows that Lily and James are switched. Just in case there is some confusion…so don't review and tell me that's a mistake, cuz its not! Okay, I'm done now.) James had a distinct feeling that Professor Dumbledore already knew the answer. Sure, everyone knew Dumbledore was just a bit mad, but he couldn't be _that _far out of his tree.  "Erm…" James stammered. "I was just…taking some for the road. I like it so much I just couldn't resist it." He quickly shoved some of it in his mouth and cringed; he _hated oatmeal. Lily snorted and hastily stuffed a roll in her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Professor Dumbledore chuckled softly._**

 "Well, Mr. Potter, if I were you, I would use a bowl. I find it most useful." James nodded, still chewing.

"Yessugh," he said thickly. Professor Dumbledore smiled again.

"A spoon might help, too. Well, I'd better be off," said Dumbledore. "I must go see Mr. Filch concerning dungbombs hidden in various places around his office. It seems to be that the multiply by fives every ten minutes." His twinkling blue eyes flickered to James for a fraction of a second, and James grinned guiltily. "You two had better be off before you are late for class." With that said, Dumbledore walked away humming something that sounding suspiciously like Peeve's song. James sighed and shook his head as he watched Dumbledore's retreating back, and then cleaned himself up with a simple _Scourgify spell._

"I always knew Dumbledore was a loon," he said. Lily glared at him, wondering how he had the gall to call the headmaster crazy.

            "_I think he's brilliant," she said._

            "Well that settles it, then," James replied, smirking at her. "If Dumbledore is your role model, no wonder you act the way you do." Lily scowled and picked up her books.

            "Shut up, Potter," she retorted, walking briskly out of the Great Hall.  James grinned and hurried to catch up. 

            "'Shut up, Potter', eh?" he repeated in amusement. "Is that all you've got? You're losing your touch Evans. Could it be that you are finally giving into my masculine charms? Took you a while, but I suppose it's better late than never." 

            "Leave me alone, it's early," Lily snapped. They entered the transfiguration classroom and sat down. James was still teasing Lily about her disgraceful comeback. 

            "I mean really," he was saying. "'Shut up' is quite pitiful, don't you think? Had I known you weren't so quick in the morning, I would have taken advantage of that long ago. I could have pranked you—"

            "You _do _prank me," Lily interrupted, glaring at him. James waved his hand impatiently.

            "Yes, I know _that_," he said haughtily. "But I could have done it earlier when you wouldn't be so alert. It would have saved me so much time and trouble running away from you." He paused and added as an afterthought, "Then again, you might not retaliate. This could destroy the entire of order of my year. Because if _you don't retaliate, then _I_ can't retaliate without a good reason, and so on. I can't imagine all of the dungbombs that would be left over. I mean, where would I put them all? With all my fake wands, truth serums, and joke books hidden around, I don't think I could find the space." By now, James had been talking more to himself. He turned to Lily and said, "I'm don't suppose you would let me store a few things under your bed, would you, Evans?" Lily looked mildly surprised._

            "I'm sorry," she said, acting concerned. "Were you saying something important? Because all I could hear was blah-blah, blah-blah, blah-blah." James was not disturbed by her comment in the least. 

            "Now _that's _more like it," he remarked, almost proudly. "Much better than just a 'shut up'. By noon you'll be back to your unpleasant, snappy, bad-tempered old self again and all shall be right in the world. Well, except for our obvious predicament. I wouldn't call a boy being trapped in a girl's body right at all. In fact, it's quite unnerving." Lily closed her eyes and rested her head in her hands, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. _He's just figuring that out now? she thought. _Well, I always knew he was a bit dim. __

            "Is it possible that you could just be silent for, like, _five minutes?" she asked irritably._

            "When I'm kissing," James offered cheerfully. "It's quite hard, if not impossible, to kiss and talk at the same time. You know how it is." He picked up a lock of the red hair on his head and studied it. "Then again, you might not." Lily narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms.

            "I'll have you know, Potter," she spat. "That I had my first kiss when I was in fourth year, not that it's any of _your_ business." James just looked at her and grinned. It was that infuriating grin that Lily hated because it was as if he knew something she didn't. "What?" she demanded.

            "I had mine in third," he said arrogantly. Lily snorted derisively and rolled her eyes 

            "That's so predictable of you. Of course, _you _would rush into it." James opened and closed his mouth in protest.

            "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Is it _my _fault Helen Shepherd chose to maul me with her lips in the middle of the corridor?" 

            "I'm sure it is in one way or another," Lily said crossly. "I'll bet anything you said something stupid like, 'You have beautiful eyebrows' or something." James smirked at her and leaned back idly in his seat.

            "You know, Evans," he said lazily. "I detect a certain _emotion in your voice."_

            "Contempt?" she suggested. He shook his head and his smirk grew.

            "Nah," he replied. "I was thinking…_jealousy_, perhaps? Then again," James continued, ignoring Lily's wild laughter. "Why wouldn't you be? Why _shouldn't _you be? I'm handsome, funny, humble—"

            "Try repulsive, idiotic and haughty," Lily interrupted. James just shrugged his shoulder. He was quite used to Lily's "compliments" by now to be too bothered by them.

            "You know," he told her. "I'm sure I could write up hundreds of names of girls who would gladly disagree." In their not-so-new bickering, Lily and James hadn't noticed McGonagall leering over them until she loudly cleared her throat.  
            "Potter, Evans," she said sharply. Lily jumped and her cheeks tinted pink, but James just regarded the Professor with a charming smile. "I had the most ridiculous idea in mind," continued McGonagall in an irritated tone. "I was thinking that perhaps instead of chatting away, we could start class."

            "You don't say?" James said lightly. "Well, I must agree with you, Professor. That is a ridiculous idea. Almost ludicrous." By now the entire class was dead silent, watching the display between what appeared to be 'Lily' and a professor that no one dared to challenge. Lily turned to glare at him, but James either didn't see her, or acted like he didn't. Knowing him, it was most likely the latter. _Damn him! _her mind screamed. Professor McGonagall set her lips in a stiff line.

            "Ms. Evans," she began severely. "I don't know what has gotten into you these past few days, but it had better come out." Lily gripped the edge of her desk until her knuckles turned white, silently praying that James would for once in his life stay silent.

            But of course, that just couldn't happen. 

            "Professor," James said brightly. "I could tell you what has got into me, but if I did we would be here all day. I think that time is much better spent learning, don't you?" Lily closed her eyes and groaned. _When I open my eyes, this will all be a nightmare…_ She slowly opened her eyes, deep down knowing that the horrid scene would not change. When Lily saw that it hadn't, she went into plan B.

            She would grovel in James's defense, something that she _never thought she would do._

            "Erm… Professor McGonagall," she began carefully. "You'll have to forgive Lily. She…isn't quite feeling herself." Behind her, Remus and Sirius exchanged bewildered looks. "I'm sure that she's very sorry and it won't happen again." Lily threw James a sharp look that dared him to say something. He just smirked at her and balanced in his chair on the two back legs. _This is fun, he thought gleefully. __Making messes for Evans to clean up is certainly one of my new favorite pastimes. Professor studied Lily suspiciously for a moment over her glasses, as if she was trying to determine whether or not Lily was under the influence of alcohol or something of the like. Then she finally turned back to James._

            "Ms. Evans," she said firmly. "I will excuse your attitude this one time and this one time only. But if it continues, I will not hesitate to give a week's detention and take one hundred points away from Gryffindor. Is that clear?" James opened his mouth to say something but Lily hurried to beat him to it.

            "It's clear Professor," she said. Lily turned to James and glared at him, which ensured that he would certainly get quite a talking to later on.  Professor McGonagall just raised her eyebrows skeptically before turning to the class.

            "Alright class," she said loudly. "Thanks to Ms. Evans, we have already lost a few minutes of this class and you will need every second for today's lesson." 

As she continued, Lily turned to James and hissed, "_What _is the matter with you?! Are you crazy? Do you know how much trouble you could have gotten into? How much you could have gotten _me into?" James just shrugged his shoulders and yawned._

"Of course," he said carelessly. "That's why I did it. You should know that by now." Lily huffed and crossed her arms angrily. __

"The one class that I can't afford to mess up in," she muttered. "And you have to choose this one to give me a bad reputation with the teacher. When I get back to my body I am never speaking to you again." 

"How sweet," James said, grinning at her. "I didn't know you cared. It's so nice of you, Evans, to give me such a special gift as your silence. My birthday isn't for another eight months. Now all you have to do is drop off the face of the earth and my life happiness will be complete." Lily ignored him and continued to fume while simultaneously trying to pay attention to the lesson.

"You will each have a glass filled with colored water," Professor McGonagall was saying as a student handed out the supplies. "And for the rest of the lesson you will be practicing turning them into candles and back. If you can manage that, try to make it a bit more difficult and transfigure tot into a candle with a flame. Begin." Lily sighed and reluctantly picked up her wand, staring down into her purple fluid. 

She hated Transfiguration, and that was no secret. 

Lily cleared her throat and pointed her wand, preparing to transform the fluid…then she remembered that she didn't know what the spell was because she hadn't been listening.

"Oh, dammit," she groaned, leaning her head against the desk.

"What?" James asked curiously. Lily looked up to answer him, and dropped her jaw. He had already transfigured his glass and blue water into a beautiful, burning candle.

"How did you do that?" she exclaimed. 

"What?" he said again. Lily pointed furiously at the flame.

"H-how did you change that flower into a candle—a _burning _candle—in less than a minute? You didn't even hear the spell!"

"I'm gifted," James answered smugly. Lily continued to gape at his candle, while Parker and Kate looked on curiously behind them.

"How did she do that?" Parker whispered to Kate. Kate just shook her head dazedly.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "Lily has never been too talented in this department." Parker snorted.

"Talented?" she repeated. "Yeah, right! She's never been able to transfigure so much as a grape. How did she turn it into a candle in so little time?" 

"Maybe she's been practicing," Kate suggested doubtfully. In front of them, Lily was getting ready to attempt the spell.

"Okay, what's the spell?" she asked James. 

"Detonium," he answered. Lily nodded and too a deep breath.

"Detonium," she repeated confidently. "Okay, I can do that." 

"Just say it strongly or else it won't work," James advised. Lily nodded again and picked up her wand. Preoccupied with concentrating on her task, she didn't notice James grin and scoot his chair away. Lily cleared her throat and pointed at the glass.

"_Detonium__!" _

BOOM! 

Everyone in the class jumped and Lily let out a small scream. Her glass had exploded sending shards of glass along with the purple liquid sailing to the floor. Professor McGonagall came running over, looking quite startled.

"_What is going on here?" she demanded sternly. Lily winced as a red tinge began to quickly cover her cheeks._

"Um…" she said. "I-I just sort of had a bit of an…an accident, Professor." Beside her, James was bent over a piece of parchment, pretending to write while he tried desperately to stop laughing. Professor McGonagall cleaned up the mess with an impatient wave of her wand. She crossed her arms and glared down at Lily.

"Mr. Potter," she said tightly. "What spell did you use?" Lily glanced at James.

"Erm…" she said slowly. "Detonium…?" Professor McGonagall sighed and shut her eyes, rubbing her temple as though she had a terrible headache. Lily blushed deeper and sank lower into her chair. "Just kidding," she mumbled sheepishly.  

"Mr. Potter," she said tensely when she finally opened her eyes. "The spell that I just taught you was _Luminotio_, something that I stated not five minutes ago. Would you care to explain why you missed it?" Lily looked at James, as if asking for help. _Come on! she pleaded silently. __This was your fault, own up to it! James knew very well what she was thinking. After all he wasn't (usually) an idiot. But being the most unhelpful person that he was, all he did was shrug and beam. Lily sent him a murderous glare. _

"Mr. Potter?" prompted McGonagall. Lily bit her tongue and shook her head.

"Not really," she said quietly. Professor McGonagall folded her arms and stared down at Lily sternly.

"Ten points from Gryffindor Mr. Potter," she said. "Five for the destruction and five for interrupting the class for the second time in five minutes."

"But it was an accident!" Lily protested.

"One that could have been prevented if you had been listening," countered McGonagall angrily. 

"But Professor—!"

"Mr. Potter, if you continue to try my patience there will be five more. Now get to work. I want that glass turned into a candle by the end of the lesson." Professor McGonagall turned to the class and said, "Alright, class. I need get something in my office. I expect you to continue working and not turn my class into a complete circus." Her eyes flickered to Sirius, Remus, and Lily. "I will return shortly." Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the classroom. As soon as she was gone, Sirius threw down his wand and leaned back in his seat, turning to talk to a pretty brown haired girl and turning on what he liked to call the "Sirius Charm." Needless to say the girl became quite flustered. Lily scowled and leaned back into her chair. She did something that every teen has done in his or her life at some point, which was contemplate on how unfair everything was in her life.

"Well," James commented lightly. "That went quite nicely, don't you think?" Lily whipped her head to face him so fast James thought she would get whiplash.

"Detonium," she hissed dangerously, eyes blazing. "De-_tonium__?!" James grinned innocently and shrunk back ever-so-slightly._

"You asked for a spell," he joked. Lily clenched her jaw. She picked up the glass and thrust it into James's face. 

"For the _glass, you twit! I wanted to turn it into a candle and you _knew _it!" She slammed the glass back down so hard it almost shattered again._

"You should have specified." 

Well, that was enough, and Lily snapped. 

She lunged for James's throat with outstretched hands, something she had wanted to do for years. She had been close, but a hand grabbed onto the back of her sweater and held her back. 

"James," a strained voice said. "_Calm down!" _Lily turned and came face-to-face with Remus. Maybe if the situation was switched, she would be thankful for him. But now, he was just in the way of her mission: Kill James.

"Let—_go!" she said. For the second time that day, the other students turned watch the on-going scuffle. _

            "James, get a hold of yourself!" Remus exclaimed, still struggling to hold on. James, though quite surprised with Lily's sudden anger, was watching on with a very amused expression on his face.

            "Wow, Potter," he said gleefully. "You really need some anger management." Lily tried harder to get out of Remus's grasp and Remus shot James a glare.

            "Not now, Lily," he warned. "If I were you I would keep my mouth shut." 

            "He wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut if he cursed his lips off!" Lily spat crossly, reaching out with one hand and slapping at Remus with another. She had been so angry, that she forgot to use the right pronoun. 

            "James!" Sirius called out. "She's a girl, you can't hit her!" Finally getting tired, Lily stopped swinging her arms and sank into her seat, breathing heavily and scowling at James.

            "You have no idea how wrong you are," she murmured. Remus was still holding onto her wrist, unsure of whether or not he could trust her to stay calm. Lily tried to yank it out of his hand. "You can let go now," she said harshly. "I'm calm." Remus slowly let go, but as soon as he did, Lily leapt out of her seat again. Quick as a flash, Remus' arm was around her stomach. 

            "Be _reasonable,_ James!" he said loudly. "It wasn't that bad! You've done loads of worse stuff. I'm sure Lily only meant to play a little joke!" James nodded and smiled meekly from his place under the desk. Even though he was quite used to Lily's tantrums, he knew Lily had the advantage this time. 

            "Joke my arse," snarled Lily through clenched teeth. At that moment, Professor McGonagall strode into the room. In all of the hubbub, Lily didn't notice and kept trying to reach James. 

            "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" roared Professor McGonagall. Lily swore under her breath and sat down. _Just what I need, _she thought sullenly. The class was dead silent, and no one dared to move an eyelash. James slinked out from under the desk, and settled into his seat.

            "I leave you for five minutes, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall in a quiet voice. "And you start a brawl!" 

            "But Professor," Lily began. "It wasn't my—"

            "Be quiet, Mr. Potter," she interrupted. "I have heard enough of your excuses."

            "Professor McGonagall," Remus tried. "He was—"

            "Mr. Lupin," said McGonagall sternly. "Go back to your seat." Remus looked at Lily sympathetically before returning to his chair.

            "I don't know what is going on with you today, Potter," McGonagall said angrily. "But it has earned you an assignment. You are to write a paper about why it is wrong to fight and disrupt the class." Lily's jaw dropped open.

            "But—!" Professor McGonagall held up her hand to stop her.

            "I have had enough," she continued. "I want it one foot long and turned in to me tomorrow morning, no later than eight o'clock. You also have a detention for this evening. Go to the library for the remainder of the lesson." Lily's brows furrowed furiously and she bit down on her tongue to keep herself from arguing. She noisily gathered her things and stomped out of the room, but not before sending James a look that would have made Salazar Slytherin cower. 

            McGonagall sighed, rubbed her forehead, and said, "I don't want another word spoken for the rest of the lesson except for the spell, is that clear?" 

            "Yes, Professor McGonagall," murmured the students. McGonagall went back to her desk.

            "That Potter," she said quietly to herself. "Always causing trouble." 

Sirius heard her and quipped cheerfully, "Don't worry, Professor. It's probably just the fire whiskey talking."

Given everything after everything McGonagall had to put up with, it's completely understandable as to why Sirius was kicked out as well. (**a/n****: HUGE thank you to SQUIRREL MAIDEN OF GREEN!) **

***

After that lesson, James plucked up his pride and went to the library to find Lily. Just as he was walking in, Lily brushed past him and made sure to bump him on the shoulder. 

"Hey!" James yelled after her. Lily quickened her pace, but didn't turn to look at him. "Hey wait up!" James ran after her. For every one step Lily took, he had to take two. _Damn, she's fast! he thought._

"Hey—_pant!—Evans," he gasped, still trying to keep up. _

"Go to hell," she said, still not turning to look on him. 

"Could you slow down for just one second?" Lily rolled her eyes and stopped abruptly, but when James stopped by her side, she started walking again.

"Hey!" he cried.

"You said one second," she said shortly. "I gave you two. I think I was very generous considering what you did." James was beginning to get annoyed.

"If you would slow down for just _one _moment," he said in an aggravated tone. "I would apologize." Lily stopped and whirled around to face him. Suddenly, James was very sorry that he had followed her once he looked into her rage-filled visage.

"Sorry for _what?" she demanded furiously._

"Erm…" James stammered. "Well…"

"Sorry for getting me into trouble?" she asked, waving her hands wildly. "Sorry for getting me a detention? Sorry for getting on the bad side of the _one teacher I can't afford to upset?!" _

"Well—" Lily leaned in, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Sorry for not owning up to provoking me?" she continued in a low hiss. "Sorry for making a fool of me in from of the entire class? _Sorry for what, Potter?!" _

"If you'd let me talk I would tell you!" he said exasperatedly. Lily made a derisive noise and turned the corner. "It's not like they think it was the real you, anyway! They think it's me, so what's the big deal?" _That's a good point, _Lily thought reluctantly. _McGonagall still thinks its Potter causing trouble as usual. Potter's right; why _should_ I care? However, Lily wasn't about to admit that to James; she knew that it would caused him to get an even bigger head, if that was even possible_

"I don't want to hear it," she said curtly. James sighed before hurrying after Lily yet again. _Stubborn as hell, he thought. _As always…_ _

"Look," he said as they walked outside for their Herbology lesson. "What if I make it up to you?" Lily snorted and quickened her pace.

"I should live so long," she said under her breath.

"I'm serious!" James insisted, sliding into a seat behind her. "I could make it up to you." Lily said nothing and set her books on the table. James rolled his eyes, not believing what he was about to say. "I could tutor you," he suggested. "I could help you in transfiguring the candle if you like." Still, Lily ignored him and pulled out a sheet of parchment. James scowled and slammed his quill on the desk. "I'm trying to help here!" he said irritably. "You could at least reply." 

"Generally," Lily said stiffly without turning around. "When one does not answer another person, it is a hint for that person to _stop talking_."

"Does that mean you don't want my help?"  Lily rolled her eyes.

"Wow, what a genius," she said sarcastically. "Are you sure you shouldn't be moved up a year?" James made a face at her and folded his arms.

"Fine then," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "Go ahead and fail. Be that way."

"I will!" Lily snapped.

"Fine!" 

"FINE!" Lily slouched in her seat breathing heavily. James scowled and did the same. "Ass," she muttered angrily.

"Am not!" James shot back childishly. A few seats over, Remus observed the display between the two and rested his cheek in his hand.

"I swear," he said to Sirius. "Those two will probably be the cause of the next world war." Sirius nodded.

"But you can't say we won't be prepared," he replied. "I mean, we're used to it since we've dealt with them for the past six years right?"

"I suppose," sighed Remus. "But there's a slight chance that they'll realize that they're sixteen instead of two and resolve there differences." Sirius gave him a look.

"You know, you're mental to come up with a crock like that," he stated plainly. 

"Yeah," Remus replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It is a bit far fetched, isn't it?" Sirius shrugged and turned to talk to Parker. 

"Hello, sweetie," he said smoothly. 

"Sod off, Sirius," she replied casually. Sirius just grinned and playfully ruffled her hair.

"Aww," he said. "I'm flattered." Parker rolled her eyes and slapped his hand away.

"What do you want, Sirius?" she asked wearily. He smirked and leaned in closer.

"Oh, nothing," he said slyly. "I was just wondering…what are you doing this weekend?" 

"I'm busy," Parker said shortly.

"Doing what?" asked Sirius. 

"Stuff." Sirius raised an eyebrow and slung an arm over her shoulders. Two Hufflepuffs behind them looked insanely jealous.

"Stuff with me, perhaps?" he asked haughtily.

"_No, Sirius," she said, removing his arm. Remus snickered quietly at the fact that Sirius was being turned down for the first time. The two Hufflepuffs behind her exchanged furious whispers ("Is she _crazy?!"_ one asked her friend. "Maybe she's gay," the other replied. "It's the only logical answer to turn down Sirius Black.") _

"Aww, come on," Sirius wheedled. "You know you want to…" Parker tried very hard to keep the growing smile on her face from expanding.

"I don't think I do," she told him. A confused expression crossed Sirius's features for a second. This had never happened before. A girl _never turned down the "Sirius Charm." He was seriously beginning to think of going into therapy. Sirius shook his head and prepared to try again with a different tactic._

"But Parker," he whined, pulling his signature puppy face. "If you don't go out with me, I'll feel dejected and hurt. The damage could last for a life time. Besides…" Sirius's expression grew suggestive and he leaned in closer. "…I promise I'll make it worth your time. So what do you say?" Parker observed him for a moment. Then, she knew what to tell him.

"Okay," she replied. Sirius's face broke into a charming smile. _Score! he thought. __I knew I could get her._

"Great!" he exclaimed. "I knew you would come to your senses, Parker." Parker just grinned and pulled out a planner.

"When do you want to meet?" she asked, quill poised in hand. 

"Is Saturday alright? Around five o'clock?" he asked. Parker nodded and scribbled something down. 

"Alright then," she said cheerfully. "Perfect. Saturday, five o'clock at the end of the century. It's a date!" Without another word Parker turned to talk to another Gryffindor. _Damn, that was hard, she thought. It took a minute for Sirius to realize that he had just been turned down by Parker for the second time. When he did, he slumped back into his chair, scowling in frustration._

"Dammit," he muttered vehemently. Remus snorted in laughter and wiped a tear from his eye. "Shut up, Moony!" exclaimed Sirius. Remus attempted to say something but a fresh round of laughter kept him from doing so. "It isn't funny!" Sirius protested. "I'm beginning to think the 'Charm' isn't working anymore! What am I going to do? Do you know how concerning this is?!" 

"Sirius," Remus finally gasped, still chuckling. "Why do you keep asking Parker out when you bloody well know that she's going to say no?" 

"Because," Sirius explained enthusiastically. "If I can get a date with her that means that I am unstoppable, that I am the ultimate sex god. To be able to get that one girl who always turns me down is like…like…winning a girl who always turns me down," he finished lamely. Remus shook his head in amazement.

"You are a complete idiot," he said with deep conviction. "You really are."

***

Lily didn't speak to James for the rest of the day. James, on the other hand, dealt with his anger differently. In Potions, he "accidentally" spilled a vile of itching potion on her that kept Lily scratching for the next hour. She retaliated in Charms class by making his textbook slam shut on his hand each time he tried to touch it.

And on it went; a curse over here, a charm over there. It only stopped when James hit Remus with a spell that made his hair turn into long, slimy worms by mistake, when it had been intended for Lily. Remus had irritably snatched both of their wands away and threatened to snap them in half if they didn't stop their "childish antics." 

            Later that afternoon Lily sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, moodily doing her homework. (Remus only gave back her wand when she insisted that she needed it for Transfiguration.) James had gone down to the kitchens for a small snack (AKA, a meal). 

            Around four, the portrait door swung open and James strode in. Though he was not even close to ready to deal with Lily, he knew that he still had to train her in Quidditch before the game on Saturday. Heaving a sigh, he made his way over to where she sat by the fire.

            "Alright, get into your gear," he said impatiently. Lily threw him an angry look and continued to write.

            "What are you talking about?" she snapped.

            "You and I are going out on the pitch for some extra practice, remember?" he said exasperatedly. Lily put down her quill and fixed him with a steely glare.

            "Well, you see," she said, trying to keep her temper. "That just isn't going to work for me this evening, Potter. Would you like to know why?" James rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

            "Oh Merlin," he muttered. "Here we go." Lily ignored his comment.

            "On top of a crap-load of homework," she began, counting on her fingers. "I have a foot-long paper I need to write about brawling, which will take me at least forty-five minutes. I have to practice turning a glass of purple food-coloring into a candle, _and_ I have to serve detention tonight from eight o'clock to midnight." 

            "You also have Quidditch practice," James added.

            "No, I don't," Lily said crisply. "Believe it or not, I put school work before quidditch."

            "Maybe _you_ do," James countered. "But I don't, and seeing as you are supposed to be me, you will be going to practice tonight at seven-thirty on the dot. And before that, you and I _will be going out to practice on our own." Lily scowled._

            "You're insane to think that I'm going to allow you to order me around like some servant," she said stubbornly. "I have priorities, Potter. And Quidditch is not at the top of them. In fact, it's not on the list of priorities at all." James suppressed a groan with great difficulty and ran a hand through the red locks on his head.

            "Look," he said tensely. "You obviously have some time-management issues." Lily looked confused. 

            "What to do you mean?" she said blankly. James sat down in a chair next to her and sighed. Apparently this was going to take a while.

            "Evans," he said calmly. "Given how much time I spend in detention, do you really think I would stop everything each time I got one? If I skipped Quidditch practice every time I landed in detention, I wouldn't even have time to mount a broom, let alone play in a game." Lily nodded slowly. _At least he can admit it, she thought, impressed. "So," continued James. "I always plan my schedule anticipating the fact that I'll have detention." _

            "You know something," Lily said thoughtfully. "It's really pathetic that you have to do that." James just shrugged.

            "Yeah," he said carelessly. "Anyway, the point is that you have to use your time well. You figure that detention is from eight to midnight, right? So that's four whole hours you have to do all of your homework, which means that you can use your time right now to practice Quidditch with me, and from seven thirty to eight for practice with the team."

            "But won't Brian be upset that I have to skip an hour and a half of practice?" 

            "Oh yeah," James said matter-of-factly. "He'll definitely be pissed that you're missing one, especially before a Quidditch game. But he won't do anything too bad. Probably just yell himself hoarse, threaten to kick you off the team, and throw a bludger at your head." Lily snorted.

            "Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically. "Glad to know it's nothing too traumatizing."

            "Believe me," James told her. "That's nothing. Okay, now go and get my broom and Quidditch robes." Lily nodded and rose to her feet. 

            "Fine," she said reluctantly. "Where are they?" 

            "In my dorm room hanging on the corner of my bed post. The broom should be in the closet, or something similar." Lily gave him a long look.

            "I can't go up there," she protested. James placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a shove towards the stairs.

            "You have to," he said impatiently. "God, it's not like you're going into a strip club! Just suck it up!" Lily tripped over her feet and scowled at James as she made her way up the stairs. Even though she had been in his body for almost a week, she still hadn't been in the Boys' Dorm since she had woken up there (except for when she had taken her first shower as a boy shower, which was only because she had known that the boys had all been out. The rest of the time she used the prefects one). She was still very apprehensive about it, afraid of what she would walk in on. James knew it and found it all quite funny.

"You're certainly different from other girls," he had told her when she refused to use the bathroom in there. "Most would kill for just a chance to walk in on the Marauders changing." 

            Lily took a deep breath before twisting the door knob and opening the door. Relieved that she didn't see anyone around, she made her way to James's bed and pulled down his scarlet robes. Then she turned around and opened the closet, but she didn't see his broom.

            "Crap," she muttered. "Where is that bloody twig?" She searched through the different robes hanging there, but she still didn't see it. 

            "Hey, Prongs, whatcha lookin' for?" said a voice behind her. Lily recognized the voice as Remus's.

            "I can't find Jam—my broom," she said with her head still in the closet. Sighing heavily, she turned around to face him. "Do you have any idea where…where it…is…?" Lily trailed off as she caught sight of Remus, and immediately regretted turning around. (**A/N: Normally I wouldn't write something like what is coming up, but I thought I would do this as a special lil' something for a reviewer of mine! I hope you enjoy this, K[r]ube!**)

            There Remus stood, clad in nothing but a towel around his waist as he rubbed his wet hair with another. Lily tried to keep her jaw from falling open as she stared at him. _Oh my God, _she thought desperately. _Okay, Lily calm down. You're a boy, you're in a boy's body...act like a boy!_

"Holy Merlin," she murmured, still staring at Remus. 

            That certainly wasn't acting like a boy.

            _This is why I didn't want to come up here, she thought. _I knew something like this would happen!_ Although she had to admit, she didn't entirely regret it.__ Remus interrupted her thoughts by waving a hand in front of her face._

            "Hey," he said. "James? You okay, buddy?" Lily snapped her head up and tore her gaze away from his chest. _He sure has changed in the past few years, _she thought faintly.

            "Of course!" she said frantically. "Why wouldn't I be?" Remus cast her a strange look. 

            "Well," he said slowly. "You were kind of staring at me like I had three heads. Did I cut myself shaving or something?" He self-consciously ran a hand over his face. _A very nice face indeed_, Lily noted. She shook her head quickly and forced herself to turn back to the closet.  

            "No," she said hastily. "Not at all." She paused for a moment before saying tentatively, "Um…Remus, have—have you been…working out lately?" Remus just stared at her.

            "Er…" he said blankly. "A bit…why?" 

            "No reason," Lily answered. She realized her voice was higher than usual. "I'm just…I'll just get what I came from and move out of your way…" Remus walked over to her and looked into the closet, brushing her arm as he passed by. Lily took a sharp intake of breath and stepped away. 

            "What are you looking for?" Remus asked again, not noticing Lily shifting uncomfortably.

            "Um...body…I mean, broom!" she corrected hurriedly, a blush flaming up her face. "I meant _broom, not b-body." Remus didn't take notice of her mistake, and continued to shift through the different robes. Lily watched as a drop of water fell from his hair and trickled down his back. __Nice muscles…she thought weakly. "I have to get out of this room…" she mumbled. _

            "Did you look under your bed?" Remus suggested, swinging the towel around his neck (the towel from his _head, _that is). "You know, where everything _else_ is?" He grinned at her and jokingly punched her arm. Lily nodded and quickly made her way over to the bed, eager to get away from Remus.

            "Right," she told him. Lily knelt down and poked her head under the bed, but immediately came back out, pinching her nose. "Disgusting!" she cried, forgetting her dilemma for a moment. "Does he live in a dumpster or something? It reeks under there!" Remus shrugged and made his way into the bathroom. 

            "That's what I keep telling you, James," he called out. "Also, there's something that resembles a mushroom growing under there, except that it's blue. You might want to get that checked out." Lily made a face. _Boys_, she thought hotly. _Only a boy would have his own __Forbidden__Forest__ growing under his bed! Lily fought down a feeling of nausea with difficulty before reaching under the bed. After coming in contact with something that suspiciously felt like jell-o, she finally grasped the broomstick and pulled it out. _

            Vigorously wiping her hand on her sweater, Lily mentally made a note to soak her hand in disinfectant for at least two hours. Relieved that her task was over she made her way to the door, very eager to get out of the dorm room. 

Just as she was turning the knob, Remus called, "Hey, James? Could you hand me my pants? They're on my bed." Lily froze and swore under her breath.

"Uh…sure," she yelled back. She took a deep breath and grabbed Remus's trousers. _Please have something on, _she prayed frantically. _Please have something on!_ Lily took a timid step toward the bathroom. "I'm going to kill Potter," she murmured. Biting her lip, she took another step. When she was about five feet away, Remus stomped out of the bathroom. Lily breathed a sigh of relief when she saw he had a bathrobe on. Remus snatched the pants out her hand.

"Never mind," he said with a grin. "If I had known it would take you a year, I would have just come and gotten them myself." When he walked back into the bathroom, Lily ran out of the room, not wanting to risk being delayed again. Once the door was closed behind her, she slumped against it and closed her eyes. _I never want to see a boy's dorm again, she swore to herself. _

When she opened her eyes, Lily saw James standing in front of her with an impatient look on his face. He looked at his watch and folded his arms.

"I sent you in there exactly ten minutes ago," he told her. "Were you getting Quidditch gear or trying to catch a snitch?" Lily scowled and thrust the broom at him. 

"You could have told me there would be someone there," she said huffily as she stomped down the stairs. James looked confused and ran to catch up with her.

"Who was there?"

"Remus," replied Lily. James was still puzzled as he opened the portrait door.

"And the problem would be…?" he asked. Lily looked down and said nothing. The blush that had already stained her cheeks deepened. As James had pointed out before, he could always tell when a blush covered his cheeks. He clapped a hand over his mouth and pointed at Lily wildly, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "Aha!" he cried gleefully. "You're blushing! You saw him naked, didn't you? Didn't you, Evans?" 

"No!" Lily said indignantly. James just snickered and gave her a skeptical look. "He had a towel on!" she exclaimed. 

"Pretty damn close, though," James said cheerfully. "So, Evans. What's it like to have your dream come true?" Lily opened the front door, making her way outside.

"What are you on about?" she asked. James raised an eyebrow and casually picked a speck of dust off of his cloak.

"Well," he said haughtily. "It's every girl's dream to see one of the Marauders naked, isn't it?" Lily was so shocked at what he said that all she could do was stare. "Unfortunately," James continued. "You don't really have bragging rights until you see the best one. You know, me, considering I play Quidditch." James stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Then again, given the circumstances, you could fix that in a right jiffy." Lily pulled a face and shoved him away from her, in any way but playful. 

"That," she said firmly. "is the _sickest_ thing I have ever heard in my life, and that includes my sister describing her first kiss to me in detail. Potter, you are not only a pervert, but you are an _arrogant pervert." James just smirked as they entered the pitch._

"Just a part of my many attractive attributes," he said. Lily rolled her eyes and put on the scarlet quidditch robes over her uniform. James handed her the broom and grabbed another one from the shed. "Okay, now all kidding aside, Evans, this is serious." He pulled a shiny whistle out from his pocket and hung it around his neck. Lily sat down on the grass and watched as James started to pace back and forth. "For the next hour and a half," James stated, taking on a stern expression. "You can consider me your trainer, your instructor, and your—"

"Pain in my ass?" Lily suggested lazily. James stopped moving and glared at her.

"I'm going to ignore that," he said, clearing his throat. "But only because we don't have time to argue. Now, back to what I was saying. In this time-span, you will be under my complete command. If I say jump, you say…" He pointed at Lily, cuing her to finish his sentence. 

"Sod off?" she said sweetly. James closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _This is going to take a while, he thought._

"Let's try that again," he said, forcing himself to remain calm. "If I say run, you say…"

"Go to hell," Lily replied. She squinted up at James, who was gritting his teeth in frustration. _This is going to be fun, she thought gleefully, smiling at him._

"Actually," James said after a moment. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'how far', but I guess that will work, too. Anyway, what we're going to work on is your speed, your throwing, and your aim." Lily furrowed her brow.

"What's wrong with my aim?" she asked defensively. James snorted.

"Come on, Evans. You couldn't get the quaffle into the loop if it came alive and swallowed the ball while it was in your hand." Lily sniffed. _Actually, she thought. __That's probably true. "If you're going to play Quidditch on Saturday in my body," James continued. "You'll have to be a half decent chaser for people to think I just had an off game. Which means we have a _lot _of work to do."_

"Oh, thanks," Lily said grumpily. "Your support does wonders to help my self-esteem." 

            "I'm glad," James said dismissively. "Now, up on your feet. I want twelve laps around the pitch in five minutes." Lily stared at him blankly, not moving from her place on the ground.

            "Are you mental?" she asked bluntly. "I can't do that!" James just shrugged and twirled the whistle around idly.

            "Well," he said. "Let's just see what you can do." He put the whistle in his mouth and blew it twice. Lily clamped her hands over her ears and winced.

            "Fine," she grumbled reluctantly. "I'm going, I'm going." She pulled herself up to her feet and began to jog. James quickly grabbed her arm to hold her back.

            "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, completely baffled. Lily was equally confused.

            "I'm…doing laps," she explained slowly. James rolled his eyes and shook his head. He picked the broom up from the ground and handed it to Lily.

            "Not that way," he said edgily. "On the _broom." Lily grasped the broom and looked at it doubtfully._

            "On the broom…?" she repeated, puzzled. James pointed upwards and gave her a steely look.

            "In the _air_, Evans," he said in an irritated tone. Lily looked doubtful and looked up uncertainly.

            "I think I could do better on the ground," she said. James just responded by narrowing his eyes and tweeting the whistle again, this time in Lily's ear. Lily glared at him and rubbed her ear as she mounted the broom. _Okay, she thought. _I can do this…I _can _do this..._ Lily groaned and grasped the handle, eyes closed tight. __No I can't. _

            "Yes you can," James said firmly. Lily opened her eyes and looked at him. _I said that aloud?  "Now come on," James assured her. "You won't be able to do it if you don't try." Lily nodded and swallowed audibly. Taking a deep breath, she tapped her foot softly on the ground. _

            "Okay," James said when she didn't move. "That's one of your problems. You don't kick off with confidence." Lily scowled.

            "Last time I 'kicked off with confidence' I shot up like a cannon ball," she said bitterly. James smiled and knelt by her leg. 

            "I said kick off with confidence," he corrected. "I didn't mean start an earthquake. You want to make sure you kick off firmly, like you're commanding your broom to go up. The way you kick off now is like you're stepping on thin ice, afraid it's going to crack any moment. Now try again, and try to do it hard, but not hard enough so you hurt yourself." Lily inhaled deeply and nodded. She put her foot down again, this time a bit harder than last time. When she still was on the ground, she tried again. But still nothing happened.

            "Damn!" Lily exclaimed angrily. Out of frustration she stomped her foot on the ground, and finally got the reaction she wanted. "Oh my God!" she screeched. But even though she was scared, she noted that she hadn't gone up as fast as she had last time. Lily slowed down much sooner and hovered in the air. In a few seconds, James was hovering right next to her.

            "See?" he said, grinning at her. "It wasn't so bad. But I have to point out something. No matter what, Evans, you _can't _scream while you go up." Lily tore her gaze from the ground that was far below and gripped the handle tighter.

            "You can't tell me _not _to scream," she said testily. "I told you, I hate heights." 

            "But you can't show that," James said earnestly. "Not while you're me. Boys don't scream like that. They don't scream at all."

            "Well maybe they should," Lily snapped. "Boys need to get in touch with their feelings." James sighed and rubbed his eyes.

            "I need some coffee," he muttered.

            "Yeah, well I need a harness," Lily shot back. James decided to drop the screaming issue, figuring he could pick up on it later. 

            "Alright," he said. "Now do those twelve laps." Lily groaned.

            "I still have to do those?" she whined.

            "_Yes," James said. "In the time you spend whining about it, you could already have it done."_

            "Can I do six instead?" Lily said hopefully. 

            "Eleven," James argued.

            "Seven."

            "Ten."

            "Eight"

            "Nine."

            "Deal," Lily said quickly. James nodded and blew his whistle. Lily scowled and covered her ears again. "Could you stop blowing that bloody thing?" she said crossly. James shook his head and grinned at her.

            "Nope," he said cheerfully, waving it around. "Now come on, ten laps around the pitch." 

            "Nine!" cried Lily.

            "That's what I said," he said impatiently. "Now hurry up." Lily sighed grudgingly and made her wobbly way around the field. When she completed her first lap, James flew beside her.

            "It's taken you four minutes just for one lap," he stated plainly. Lily scowled at him.

            "How do you know?" she grumbled. James smirked and held up a timer which read _4:07_. "You're _timing me?" Lily asked disbelievingly._

            "Considering your time for this one lap," he said, ignoring her statement. "It would take you approximately half an hour just to complete nine." Lily shrugged.

            "_I think that pretty good," she said._

            "Maybe for a five year old," James snorted. "Look, it's obvious this speed thing is going to take a while, so we're just going to focus on this and leave the other stuff for later. You and I will be out here until you can complete ten laps around the pitch in no more than ten minutes." Lily's jaw dropped open.

            "What?" she protested. "That's not fair!" James opened his mouth, but Lily said, "I don't _care_ if life isn't fair, Potter! This isn't even reasonable. Can't you lighten up?" 

            "You aren't going to get any better if I do that," he reasoned. "Maybe if I had about a month I would start out slower. But the game against Ravenclaw is on Saturday, Evans, and we don't have all the time in the world. So, given that reason…" He blew the whistle. "I want those ten laps."

            "You said nine," Lily said through gritted teeth. "We agreed on nine, Potter." James shook his head.

            "I changed my mind," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Now come on, get moving or I'm going to make it twelve again." Muttering a few choice words under her breath, Lily begrudgingly started to fly around the field again. Something told her that it would be the first of many, many laps. 

***

            Two hours and thirty three minutes later, Lily and James walked back into the Gryffindor common room. Actually, in Lily's case it was more like limping. 

            During the entire practice, she had done nothing by fly laps around the field. Slowly she had made progress. Her time went from ten laps in twenty-four minutes, to ten in seventeen, to ten in thirteen, and finally ten in ten. Plus, she hadn't received nearly as many injuries as before. The worse thing that happened was that she had turned around to shout something to James and had crashed into the stands. With a few bruises, cuts, and splinters, Lily got back on her broom and started again, but only because James threatened to cut her hair into a buzz cut if she didn't. 

            Lily slowly sank into a chair, wincing as she felt pain shoot up through her legs. James chuckled and sat down on the couch across from her.

            "Oh come on," he snorted. "It's not _that_ bad." Lily rubbed her back and grinned.

            "No," she sighed. "You're right, it isn't. Instead of my whole body aching, it's just my thighs. Plus, my feet are swollen from hanging on the broom."

            "Hey," James said. "Look at the bright side. You didn't get hit in the groin this time." Lily laughed and leaned back and closed her eyes.

            'Yeah," she agreed. "And that's worth every cut and bruise on my arm." Just as she was falling asleep, James spoke and interrupted her potential nap.

            "Don't get comfy," he chirped. Lily furrowed her eyebrows but didn't open her eyes.

            "Why the hell not?" she mumbled irritably. 

            "Because," James snickered. "You have Quidditch practice in an hour." Lily made a noise that sounded like she was close to tears and threw a pillow in his direction.

            "No-o-o," she whined. "Don't make me go!" James laughed and picked up the pillow from the floor.

            "Come on Evans," he said. "Suck it up." 

            "_You suck it up," Lily replied sulkily, scowling deeply_

            "Hey, hey, hey," James said, holding up a finger. "I think you have it a lot easier than me right now. You're not the one who has to get ready for a date…with a person of the _same gender_. If you ask me I think I'm sucking it up quite well."

            "Whatever," she muttered. Lily grabbed a blanket and covered herself with it. "Wake me up when it's time for practice, will you?" James nodded and stood up.

            "Sure thing," he said, but Lily was already sound asleep. James sighed and made his way out of the Common Room, headed for the Kitchens for the second time that day. 

            For some reason he couldn't explain, he had the weirdest craving for something that he couldn't put his finger on. Before, James had figured he was just hungry. However, nothing he ate satisfied this craving he had, and it was driving him insane. 

            James kneaded his knuckles into his back as he tickled the pear. That was another thing. His lower-back had been aching all day. The pain had made him irritable, too. He just figured that he had slept the wrong way the other night. 

            As he walked into the kitchen, James spotted a bag of chocolate-covered pistachios on the counter and licked his lips. Normally, the sight of even one would have made him sick to his stomach. But for some reason, they looked extremely tasty. A house elf stopped by his feet.

            "Can Violet get you something, sir?" she asked eagerly.

            "Uh, yeah," James replied, tearing his eyes from the bag. "Do you know whose pistachios those are?" Violet nodded.

            "Winston was eating them, miss," she told him. James eyed them greedily.

            "Do you think he would mind if I…took a few?" Violet cast a look over to a house elf who was sleeping by the fire with his mouth wide open. Then she waved a hand carelessly.

            "You can have the rest, miss," she said kindly. "Violet thinks Winston won't be needing them." James lunged for the bag and clutched them in his hand. 

            "Thanks," he said enthusiastically. Violet tinkled a laugh and left to finish washing the dishes. Without a moment's delay, James grabbed a handful the chocolate-covered pistachios and popped all of them into his mouth. He sighed happily and closed eyes, feeling a satisfying sensation that was similar to his reaction to drinking coffee. _That _was what he had been craving. But one thing didn't make sense.

            James _hated_ chocolate-covered pistachios. 

            In fact, it was one of his least-favorite foods. He thought they were nothing short of revolting. This was the reason he couldn't understand why he would feel such a longing for this disgusting poor excuse for a snack. James just shrugged it off and made his way out of the kitchen.

By the time he had gotten back to the Common Room, James had already finished the bag. Luckily, he had performed a duplicating spell before-hand. He smiled to himself and sank into a chair by the fire, trying to keep himself from shoving the entire bag into his mouth. While he was munching, Kate and Parker came up to him, looking slightly amused. James looked at them curiously. 

"Wha'?" he asked through a mouthful of pistachios and chocolate. Kate just snickered and perched herself on the arm of the chair. 

"So," she said lightly. "Out come the chocolate-covered pistachios, eh, Lily?" James chewed slowly, looking blank.

"Erm…" he stammered.

"Well," Parker interrupted, grinning widely. "We all know what that means." James raised an eyebrow. He would have asked "what" but the chocolate lodged in his teeth prevented him from doing so. "Anyway," Parker continued. "We should leave her alone, Kate. Before she gets all cranky and turns into a bear." Kate nodded and stood up.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Oh, Lily? All of the stuff is already under the sink, so you don't have to go to Madam Pomfrey for anything." Parker and Kate walked away, and James noticed that they looked slightly sympathetic. He was completely baffled by their behavior. _What was that all about? he thought. _I was just having a little snack, no big deal. _As he wondered, James flicked his wand and changed into his pajamas. The pants and shirt he had been wearing before appeared in a neat pile by his feet. He picked them up, and just when he was about to set them on the couch, something caught his eye._

Frowning slightly, James picked up the trousers and examined them closely. He noticed a red spot on the seat of them. "What is that?" he murmured to himself. _ It looks a bit like… James gasped when he realized what it was. _

            Blood. 

            James sank onto the chair again, a horrified look written on his face. He glanced at Lily sleeping peacefully as the terrible truth sank in.

            Lily was dying.

**A/N: *HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!* Am I not just evil to leave you there? So there you have it dear readers. Here it starts. Ooh, is James in for it or what? I hope you enjoyed this, and sooo sorry about the delay. I had finals and you know how they are! Next Chapter: _Bloody Hell. Literally. Sorry about not emailing people, but I completely forgot who wanted to be emailed. So if you could do me a favor and in your review in HUGE letters write, EMAIL ME! and next time I'll be sure to make a list and make sure I do it, okay? _**

**Hey, everyone. Since it was just b-day, wanna give me the ultimate gift? Just click that itty-bitty review button down there. Best part is…its FREE!!!!!! Also, if you want something to do while you wait for the next chapter of AWIYS, read FAMOUS LAST WORDS by SacredDreams. She's a really good friend of mine, and it's a good story. And check out some of my funny quotes on my bio page if you want a laugh! (some of them are stuff said by me and my friends, [not on purpose, believe it or not])! ;^D**

**Until next time (hopefully sooner than the last),**

**Spirit**

  
  


  
  



	10. Bloody HellLiterally

**A/N: Hey Everyone! IT'S FINALLY HERE! After waiting in anxious anticipation for so long, JAMES FINALLY HAS HIS PERIOD! Since I know you'll want to hurry up and read this, more A/N's at the end along with all of the responses. I hope you aren't disappointed and enjoy the chapter! **

**Dedicated to SLATE07, DIRTY MUNCHKIN (), and SZELIJ, AND ALL OF THE OTHER GUYS OUT THERE READING THIS CUZ YOU NEED TO BE MORE UNDERSTANDING! Enjoy! evil grin**

Chapter Ten: Bloody Hell. Literally.

For the next ten minutes, James sat in complete silence. He didn't move a muscle except for his eyes shifting from the red spot on the trousers to Lily's peacefully sleeping form. As the dread sank in like a boulder hitting the bottom of his stomach James was overcome with guilt. One million thoughts flooded through his head. Why had he treated her so terribly? What was that Lily was dying of? And the one that he hated to think of most: how long did she have left?

Lily stirred and rolled over.

A sudden thought struck James. _What if she doesn't know? _With that possibility, James was becoming frantic. He had to tell her; he couldn't just let her go one without knowing, right? He took a deep breath and set the pants aside. Then he plucking up his courage, he stood to his feet and went to wake Lily.

"Hey, Evans," he whispered. He started to shake her shoulder, and then jumped back. _I'm shaking someone who is in delicate condition, _he thought in horror. _What kind of a sick person am I! _James composed himself and took another deep breath. He must not panic; at least not in front of a dying person.

"Evans," he whispered again, this time poking her gently. "Evans, _wake up!_" But Lily didn't move. James bit his lip worriedly. _Is she even still sleeping? _he thought. He leaned closer and peered at her, trying to tell if she was breathing or not.

He moved closer until he was about an inch from her face. Lily hadn't moved an eyelash. To his surprise, James felt himself welling up. That is, until Lily opened her eyes suddenly and screamed, nearly giving him a heart attack. For the third time, James was rubbing his forehead where he and Lily had collided.

"What are you doing!" she shrieked. _Pretty quick reaction for a dying person, _James couldn't help thinking.

"Uh…" he stammered. "Well…" Lily yawned and rested her head in her hands.

"Well what?" she said irritably. "Is there a reason you had to wake me up? It had better be good, whatever it is."

"Oh, it's a good reason," James said quickly. He frowned slightly as he considered what he said. "Then again," he mumbled. "It really isn't that great." Lily rolled her eyes.

"In that case," she said. "Wake me up in half-an-hour." She lay back down again, but James grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" he cried. He couldn't let her go back to sleep; what if she never woke up? Lily looked at him with a bewildered expression.

"_Yes?_" she asked impatiently. James sighed and sat next to her on the couch. This wasn't going to be easy, but he figured that he might as well do it now and give her a chance to get help. He rested a hand on her shoulder, ignoring Lily's disgusted expression.

"Evans," he began gently, forcing himself to look at her. "I have something to tell you, and it's not easy." Lily raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. "Um…" he said. "The thing is…well…I have some…" Now that he was about to tell her, James had no clue how he was going to say it. Telling someone they were dying wasn't exactly something he had practiced for. "Oh, bloody hell, I might as well just say it." James took a deep breath again and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle the look on her face when Lily found out. "Evans," he said, trying to make his voice strong. "You're dying. I found a blood stain on your pants. Well, actually they were my pants, but since I'm in your body, they would be your pants…right?...anyway, the point is, it looks like you are bleeding a lot, and I think it could lead to death." He opened his eyes, and saw Lily staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"Let me see if I have this right," she said slowly. "You saw blood on the pants you were wearing today." James nodded. "And you think I'm dying." James nodded again and handed her the pants.

"I found it about ten minutes ago," he told her gently. Lily looked down at the pants blankly. She knew immediately what the problem was and, given the situation, she didn't know whether to laugh, or to cry of embarrassment. She looked back and James and just stared at him, not making a sound. James patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"Don't try to be strong," he said gently. "Let it all out." Well, as James advised, Lily let it all out.

Boy, did she let it out.

James was speechless, to say the least.

Usually, when a person was told that she was dying, there was a lot of crying involved.

Lily was crying alright. Absolutely bawling, to be exact.

But James would have never guessed that it her tears would be accompanied with laughter. Not just giggles either. Lily was outright howling.

"_Why _are you laughing?" he asked incredulously. "I've just told you that you're dying, Evans!" Lily just laughed harder. "I just told you that you're bleeding profusely. You should be devastated!" She doubled over and hung on to the table in front of her. "_This is hardly amusing!_" Lily straightened up and clutched her stomach.

"Oh—my—God!" she gasped. "Y-you think that you're—that you're—" Lily glanced at him again and a fresh round of giggles burst forth. "_Dying!_" James looked blank. _Poor thing, _he thought sadly. _She's so overcome with grief that she's gone mad._

"Evans," he said slowly. "Do you comprehend what I just said at all?" Lily nodded, laughing too hard to say anything. "Sooo…what am I missing?" Lily took a few deep breaths to steady herself.

"You—" she said slowly, trying to keep control. "You're not dying."

"I know that," James said patiently. "But you are. We need to get to the hospital—" But James was cut off as Lily started to laugh once again. "What?" James said exasperatedly. "I don't exactly find it funny Evans when I see a blood stain!" Lily finally composed herself and held up the pants.

"Potter," she said. "I think this is a conversation we need to have in private. Let's go to the Prefects bathroom." James followed Lily as she walked briskly out of the Common Room, but not before he grabbed his bag of chocolate-covered pistachios.

"So," he said. "You're not dying?" Lily shook her head.

"No," she snorted. "I can't believe you thought I was dying." James scowled at her and stopped before the portrait entrance to the bathroom.

"Excuse me for being concerned," he said indignantly. He said the password and the door swung open, revealing a huge bathroom.

"Okay," Lily began. "Potter, you might want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you." Too puzzled to argue, James did as he was told and sat down on the edge of the humongous bathtub. Lily took a deep breath and tried not to laugh. "Alright," she said. "Potter, the reason you're bleeding is because…" She trailed of and glanced at James, who was slowing chewing a mouthful of pistachios. _Huh, _Lily thought in amusement. _He got the craving. Definitely no other reason for this._ Lily cleared her throat and tried to start again. "You see, you…have…um…" This was a lot harder to say than she thought. How would someone tell a boy that he had his period? "The thing is…well..."

"Is it possible," James said loudly. "That somewhere between all of the ums and uhs, you could tell me what's going on?"

"Fine!" Lily snapped, losing her patience. "You have your period!"

So much for being diplomatic.

Such a silence filled the room, that a person would have thought himself deaf. Finally, Lily's words sank in.

"I HAVE MY _WHAT_!" James roared. Lily jumped in surprise at James loud, but not completely unexpected reaction. James jumped up and started to pace around the room, waving his hands around wildly. "I can't!" he exclaimed. "It's physically impossible!" Lily calmly picked up the bag of chocolate-covered pistachios up from the ground and helped herself to a handful of them.

"No it's not," she said serenely. "You are in a girl's body. Girls have their periods. Therefore, Potter, you have your—" Lily was cut of abruptly by James yelling and his hands clapped firmly over his ears.

"DON'T SAY IT!" he shouted, his eyes shut tightly. Lily strode up to him and tried to pry his hands away from his ears.

"Grow up!" she shouted. "You're in my body and going to have to deal with it! Whether or not you want to believe it you're going to have to! It's the truth!" James wrenched himself out of her grip.

"I can't handle the truth!" he yelled hysterically. James sat down on the floor, scowling as he reached for the chocolate-covered pistachios.

"Merlin," Lily said exasperatedly, leaning against the sink. "You are _such_ a baby. You can handle a pain like getting hit in the groin, but you can't handle having your period." James glared at her.

"Could you stop saying that?" he said grumpily. He wiped his eyes and sniffed. Lily peered at him closely.

"Potter," she said incredulously. "Are you…_crying?" _

"No!" he said indignantly, although his cracking voice proved otherwise.

"You are!" Lily exclaimed, a grin spreading on her face. "You're crying because you have your period!" James frowned as Lily started snickering.

"It's not funny!" he cried. "It's bloody terrifying, you know! Waking up one day, having back aches and cramps that feel like someone is on an archaeological dig in your organs, and crying for no reason is _not _something I am accustomed to! It's no wonder why I thought you were dying! MY MASCULINITY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SHATTERED!" Lily pressed her lips together to keep from laughing as James shook the bag of pistachios furiously, sending several flying to the floor. "And newsflash, Evans! I _hate_ chocolate-covered pistachios! Why can't you have a _regular _craving like ice-cream or chocolate? IS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU _COMPLETELY ABNORMAL!_" James broke off from his rant glowering and breathing hard, and angrily shoved a fistful of pistachios into his mouth. Lily cleared her throat.

"Are you finished?" she asked dully. James merely made a face at her and didn't answer. "Good," continued Lily coolly. "I'm going to ignore everything you just said, because I understand that you are going through PMS right now. I suppose that now you know what it's like, you will no longer be making fun of girls who are emotional when we return to our natural states." James muttered something under his breath incoherently. Frankly, Lily wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.

She glanced at the clock and saw that she had roughly forty before she had to be on the pitch for Quidditch practice. Lily walked over to the cabinet. When she had pulled out a few items that she knew James would need to know about.

"Okay," she said, holding them up. "There are a few things you need for the next few days—"

"It lasts for _days_!" James exclaimed.

"Yep," Lily said gleefully. "Five at the most. Almost an entire week of cramps, back aches, and exaggerated emotions. Think you can deal, Potter?"

"NO!" he wailed. Lily shrugged.

"Too bad," she said casually. "You don't really have a choice. I have no shame in admitting to you that I find this highly entertaining." James narrowed his eyes at her.

"That's hardly surprising," he said sourly. "You always did take pleasure in my pain. Masochist," he added with a scowl.

"Like _you_ never did in mine," Lily retorted. "But anyway, I have a right this time. Every girl wishes a guy could go through a period, just so that they can be more understanding. I'm glad to say that I got my wish, and I will not be taking it for granted."

"It would be nice if you could offer a few _helpful _words of advice for once in your life," James interjected crossly. He had no idea where these snappy comments were coming from, but every little thing Lily said was annoying him; it was almost out of nowhere. Lily grinned. Once again, James was very irked by it and he didn't know why.

"Aren't we touchy," she said lightly. James just scowled and popped another pistachio in his mouth.

"Could we continue, please?" he said impatiently, rubbing his lower back. Lily considered giving James a smart remark, but thinking he was already in enough pain, she decided against it.

Plus, she had a practice to go to.

"Alright," Lily said. She held up an item wrapped in pink paper. No matter how funny it was to watch James go through this, it was also extremely embarrassing for her. "I can't believe I'm teaching a boy to use a pad," she moaned. James looked highly affronted.

"_You_ have the nerve to complain?" he said incredulously. "How can you be whining about that when _I'm _the one in real pain here?"

"Hey!" Lily cried. "I'm talking to a boy, one I _despise _no less, and I have to tell him all about having a period! Do you think I like it? It's bloody humiliating! How do you think _I _feel?"

"You, you, you," James shot back. "It's all about _you_, isn't it? You don't give a rip about THE PERSON WHO IS REALLY SUFFERING!"

"I am focusing on the person suffering," Lily stated evenly. "I just told you how I felt, didn't I?"

"I MEANT ME!" James roared. Lily snickered. She had known what he meant; she had just said that to aggravate him, just once more before she became serious. Now that she had done so, she could continue.

"Calm down," Lily said, waving a careless hand. "Are you finished with your temperamental outbursts? Because if you are, I think it would be wise if we continued. Don't you?" James opened his mouth but Lily interrupted. "Good. Now, you need to pay attention because it is essential to know everything I'm about to teach you. Are you listening?" James rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm smelling the roses," he said sarcastically. Again, Lily ignored his comment.

"Okay," she began. "We'll start with something simple."

"Like any of this crap is simple," James grumbled.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually. Alright, Potter, we'll begin with this…" Once again, she held up the item wrapped in pink paper, and prepared herself for a _very _long discussion.

"Okay," James said thirty minutes later. "Let me see if I have this right." He held up a pad, pinching it between his fingers as though contaminated. He looked at it, and a disgusted expression took over his face. "I have to _wear_ this?"

"Yes," Lily said wearily, rolling her eyes. She felt like she had explained this to him at least one thousand times.

"And I am going to be bleeding anywhere from three to five days?"

"Yes."

"And I have to endure cramps?" Lily rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. _I will not lose my temper, I will _not _lose my temper, _she chanted mentally.

"Yes, Potter."

"And I am going to have backaches as well?"

"_Yes_," Lily told him exasperatedly. James looked uncertainly at the pad he was holding between his fingers.

"And you're _sure _I have to wear—?"

"_YES!_" Lily yelled, finally losing her patience. "You _do _have to wear a pad, you _will _be bleeding for five days, and you _will _have backaches! And guess what? There's more! You'll be cranky, you'll get bloated, and you'll feel like you're on an emotional rollercoaster! Okay? Do you get it now, Potter!" James just blinked at her. Then he grinned, his eyes twinkling in merriment.

"No, not really," he said. "Would you mind running through it a few more times?" Lily glared at him furiously before grabbing at towel, putting it over her face, and screaming as loud as she could. James smirked; it was nice to know he had that effect on her. After a few seconds of muffled swear words and shrieking, Lily set the towel down. Aside from her red face, she looked rather calm. "Having problems?" James asked cheerfully.

"What are you talking about?" Lily said stiffly, her jaw visibly clenched. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Obviously," James snorted. Lily looked at the clock. She had a little over ten minutes to teach James how to use a pad. Lily sighed and closed her eyes; this would probably take a lot longer than ten minutes.

"Okay," she said, taking the pad from him. "I've already taught you when to change it. Now comes the hard part." James rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," he snorted. "The other parts were really simple."

"They are compared to what I'm about to teach you," Lily countered. She took a little bit of satisfaction in James looking apprehensive. "Now, all you need to know how to do is put it on." James's expression changed from apprehensive to horrified.

"Oh that's _disgusting,_" he groaned, wrinkling his nose. "You mean _I_ actually have to…like…put it on?" Lily fixed James with a glare.

"Potter," she said sternly, reminding him strongly of Professor McGonagall. "Do you _really_ think I would let _you _put it on?" James looked thoroughly confused.

"So," he said slowly. "Does that mean _you're_ going to—?" Before he could get the answer out, Lily reached out and whacked him sharply on the head. "Ow!" he whined.

"I meant I was going to give you a _spell_, idiot," Lily said acidly. James scowled and rubbed his head.

"You could have just said that," he grumbled.

"Oh, stop whining," Lily said briskly. "All you have to do point at yourself at say _Scourgify, _okay? See? Not so hard."

"Where do I point to?" James asked innocently. Lily closed her eyes and sighed.

"You know damn-well where to point to," she said through gritted teeth. James grinned at her.

"Just in case," he said lightly. "Maybe you should tell me. You know, make sure we don't have any mixed messages going on."

"You'll have to _scourgify _every two hours," Lily said quickly, ignoring James's crude comment. "Two and a half at the latest."

"Isn't that a bit obsessive?" James asked. "Do I really have to do it _that_ often?"

"Well," Lily told him. "That all depends, really. If you want walk around with a huge red stain on your clothes and smelling like a dead fish, by all means, go ahead and do it when you want." James cringed.

"I think I'll stick to every two hours, thanks," he murmured. Lily smiled.

"Glad you see it my way," she said cheerily. "Okay, stand up and let me put it on." James raised his eyebrows.

"With…a spell…right?" he asked uncertainly. Lily rolled her eyes.

"_Yes_," she said impatiently. "Now hurry up!" James stood to his feet, clucking his tongue softly.

"Touchy," he said, grinning. "I thought _I _was supposed to be the moody one"

"Just shut up and turn around," Lily muttered irritably as she prepared to point at the pad. James didn't move and gave her a suspicious look.

"Why…?" he said slowly. Lily sighed.

"Because," she explained, a little sheepishly. "I don't think I can do it while you look at me."

"You're choosing this time to be embarrassed," James said incredulously. "When _I'm _the one with the reason to be?" Lily stamped her foot impatiently.

"Just do it!" she exclaimed. James did as he was told, scowling as he turned around and mimicking Lily quietly in a high voice. When his back was to her, Lily pointed at the pad and muttered a spell (**a/n: please forgive me for not having the creativity to think of one. As it isn't really the central theme of the title, I'm sure everyone can just go with the flow hahaha! No pun intended, honest. **J** and deal with it. okay, back to the story!**). As soon as she did, the pad in her hand disappeared. A moment later James squirmed and turned around, looking mightily uncomfortable.

"This feels like a bloody diaper," he said, face scrunched up. "Isn't there something else that's a little less…bunchy?"

"There is," Lily answered. "But it's nothing you will be using. Come on, I don't want to make Brian even more upset than he will be by being late to practice. Let's go." Lily started for the door, expecting James to follow her. But when he wasn't by her side she turned around. When she did, she immediately burst into laughter. James was walking very slowly with his legs spread about two and a half feet apart, almost like a waddle.

"What's the matter with you?" Lily snickered. James looked up curiously.

"What?" he asked, clearly baffled. Lily started to laugh again.

"You can't walk like that!" she exclaimed, gesturing to his feet. "You look like some sort of demented duck that has a bullet up its arse."

"Well, I _feel _like a duck that has a bullet up its arse."

"But you can't _walk _like one," Lily told him. James still looked puzzled and Lily sighed. "Just walk like you normally would." James looked doubtful and shook his head slowly from side to side.

"I don't think I can do that," he said hesitantly.

"Of course you can," Lily said. "Girls do it every day."

"You can't really use that argument, since I don't happen to be one," James said stonily.

"Well, yeah, but there's a first time for everything. Just try it, Potter. It really isn't that difficult." James gave her a look that clearly stated that it was. "Just _try_ it," Lily repeated exasperatedly.

"Fine," James sighed. Frowning slightly, he stood with his legs together again. Then he took a step, and another, until finally he was walking like usual again.

"See?" Lily said, heading to the door again. "It's not that bad." James grabbed his bag of pistachios and followed her out.

"How would _you_ know?" he asked grumpily, scowling at her. Lily crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow, grinning slightly. James realized what he just said and looked down. "Oh...right…" he mumbled sheepishly. "I guess you would know, wouldn't you…? I mean you're obviously a…a…so you really would know about the…you know…" James cleared his throat and waved a hand. "…Womanly objects and such…" he said gruffly. Lily bit her lip and started to snicker. "Let's just forget I ever said anything, shall we?" James said hastily before shoving pistachios into his mouth to stop his rambling. Lily laughed quietly for a few more seconds, and tried to compose herself.

"Just one question, Potter," she said as soon as she had control.

"What?" he said through a mouthful of pistachios. Lily cringed at the sight of the mashed up green and brown bits of food before answering. "Why didn't you know about all this before?" James shrugged as he and Lily climbed the steps.

"Well," he explained. "Seeing as I am a boy, the topic doesn't really come up much in your life."

"But why didn't you ask someone?" James fixed her with a look.

"Because on a date, it would be most impolite to bring up the subject of feminine hygiene," he answered sardonically. "It's just not one of those issues you talk about over a candlelit dinner. Besides, why would I? Pads, mood swings, and blood aren't on my list need-to-know matters." Lily grinned and shook her head.

"You obviously didn't pay attention in health last year," she said. James looked blank.

"We had health class?" he asked. Lily looked at him disbelievingly.

"What do you mean, 'we had health class'?" she exclaimed. "Don't you remember Professor Portman taking away house points because you and Sirius kept cracking jokes?" James continued to look puzzled. Then a look of comprehension dawned on his face.

"Oh," he said slowly. "That was _health _class?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"What did you think?" she asked impatiently. James shrugged, still looking a bit baffled.

"I thought it was a new program of Care of Magical Creatures," he said. **(A/N: That DAMNED line is the reason this chapter was delayed! BIG THANKS TO MY FRIEND BROOKE WHO THOUGHT OF IT IN A SPLIT SECOND! I hope you like it 'cause I sure spent a long time thinking of it, even though I didn't come up with it.) **

"Well," Lily chuckled, casting him a side-glance. "While it is true that we women are indeed magical creatures—" James snorted and rolled his eyes. "—how did you come to that conclusion?"

James cleared his throat and turned a tinge of red. Now that he knew what he had been learning in the class, it was really an embarrassing subject to discuss. "You know," he said gruffly, waving his hand around. "With all of the…pictures and…_terms_…and all that crap, who _wouldn't _think it was another sort of creature instead of…of what it really was?" Lily immediately started to laugh, not even bothering to contain her amusement.

"Crea—_creatures!_" she wheezed.  
James glanced at her sideways. "Are you laughing with me?" he asked. "Because generally when a person laughs with another person that other person has to be laughing along with…that other…person." James frowned slightly and went over the phrase mentally to see if it made even an ounce of sense.

It didn't.

This only made Lily laugh harder. "No, I'm laughing _at_ you," she gasped before a fresh bout of laughter came out. Even though he knew that Lily was making fun of him, James couldn't help grin; this was now the second time he had made her laugh. Not a cruel laugh, but one that was genuine and carefree. _That's just too weird,_ James thought. _It's only a carefree laugh because she has _my _laugh; Evans could never pull off anything carefree!_

A high-pitched, girlish sound distracted him from thinking any longer. James turned to Lily and, with utmost shock and just a bit of horror, he saw her doubled over clutching her stomach…and she was giggling. James winced and looked around; it was an extremely un-masculine thing to do.

"Do you think you could…erm…you know, stop that?" he asked awkwardly.

"Stop…what…?" Lily wheezed between snickers. James rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you know…" he said, waving his hand in the air. "That _giggling _thing. Boys don't giggle; we guffaw." Lily's mad giggles finally came to stop.

"Guffaw," she repeated with raised eyebrows. James nodded vigorously and held up a finger.

"And sometimes," he added, grinning at her. "If we want to be polite, we chortle." Lily made a noise that sounded as though she was about to start laughing again. James was thankful that she composed herself. "We do," he insisted. "Do you know what would happen if a boy was caught _giggling?_"

"Do _you_?" Lily countered smartly. James opened his mouth to argue. Then he closed it, realizing there was no real way to answer that question. _That is so trivial, _she thought. _All worked up because he's worried people might think he giggles. Yet he has no problem sneaking out of school after hours and risking getting caught._

"Yes," James said indignantly. "I do have an answer. But seeing as you have a Quidditch practice to go to, I really don't have the time to explain. Especially since you're already five minutes late." Lily groaned as James took hold of her shoulders, steering her down the steps.

"I don't want to go," she complained.

"Don't care," James replied merrily

"But my arms hurt!" Lily cried. "As well as my legs, my shoulders, my feet, and my—"

"Still not caring," James chirped.

"Did I mention that Quidditch isn't on my list of priorities?"

"Did I mention that I didn't care?" Lily twisted around in James's grip and glowered at him as they made their way into the front hall.

"Have I ever told you that you're a foul, annoying piece of scum that belongs in the pits of hell?" she asked tonelessly. James opened the humongous door, squinting a bit as light streamed into his eyes.

"You might have said something about it a couple hundred times," he said good-naturedly. "Then again, I'm not quite sure. After years of you yelling and scolding, I get used to it and soon all I can hear is blah-blah-blah."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "You're exasperating." James grinned at her and pinched her cheek as a grandmother would her grandchild, but he added a bit more 'pinch' to it.

"Aw, I'm moved by your kind words," he said. Lily smacked his hand away from her face and scowled.

"Don't touch me," she grumbled. James smirked and removed his hand.

"Why so cranky Evans?" he asked pleasantly. Lily looked at him curiously.

"Why are you so bloody cheerful?" she asked. "You just found out that you had your period. You should be in mourning." James didn't answer right away; come to think of it, why _was _he so cheerful?

"I'm not quite sure," he said slowly, looking puzzled. "I don't really have anything to be happy about." Lily smiled knowingly. James caught this and groaned. "Let me guess," he said dully. "This is one of the many joyful effects of going through a period."

"Yep," Lily said gleefully, not showing a trace of sympathy.

"Brilliant," James said moodily. _This is insane, _he thought. _One minute I feel so happy I want to skip for no reason, and now I feel like I just want to curl up and contemplate my sad excuse for a life. _"Great week this'll be," he muttered. James scowled and tugged at his pants; they were beginning to feel a bit tight. Actually, a lot tighter than they had been. Perhaps that's why his judgment was impaired when he said the next sentence. "Merlin," he said, wincing slightly. "I feel like I'm wearing a corset. Did you gain some weight, Evans?" Lily glared at him. (**Yet another A/N: Note to all guys out there: Never mention a girl's weight unless you want to spend the rest of your life in a hospital with an I.V by your side. Just a little bit of advice that you might find helpful. **J

"No," she said acidly. "I did not 'gain some weight' as you so eloquently put it, Potter. You're bloated." James looked at her, furrowing his brows.

"Did you just call me fat?" he asked her. _I can't believe I just said that, _James thought, horrified. _Must be one of those bloody side effects._ Lily rolled her eyes.

"_No_," she snapped. "You're bloated because you have your period, Potter! How many times do I have to tell you until it gets through that peanut you call a brain!" James scowled and cursed mentally when he had to fight down the urge to cry. _Only one hour of having PMS and I've already been through enough bloody emotions to last me a lifetime. _

"You don't have to yell at me," he mumbled. To both Lily's _and_ his surprise, it was said in a genuinely hurt tone. Lily sighed, remembering that James would be extremely sensitive during the next week, through no fault of his own. Not all of it, anyway.

"I'm sorry," she said, maintaining a patient voice with difficulty. "I suppose since you're feeling hypersensitive—"

"I am _not_ feeling hypersensitive!" James interrupted crossly.

"—and a bit hot-tempered," Lily continued, giving him a look. "I'll have to start being nicer and more understanding to you. Damn," she added under her breath.

"Well, it _would _help just a tad," he told her scathingly.

"Quit your griping and eat the chocolate-covered pistachios," Lily told him. "Trust me, they help." James popped a few into his mouth, closing his eyes as the feeling of satisfaction flooded through him. Lily grinned. "Good, huh?" she asked. James nodded, eyes still eyes. "Here," Lily said. "Let me have a few of those." She reached out for the bag but James quickly yanked it out of her reach.

"Get your own," he said shortly. Lily opened her mouth slightly, surprised at his change in mood so quickly. Even though she knew what he was going through, it was _very _different being on the receiving; out of all her friends, she was the one who became the most irritable during her period. They had always told her that it wasn't pleasant, and they were right. "Sharing is caring, Potter," she told him.

"It's a good thing I don't care then, isn't it?"

"Fine," she said. "Be that way."

"I will, thanks," James replied.

"But," Lily added in a sing-song voice. "I guess that means you don't want to know where you get more." James looked at her, trying to decide whether or not she would withhold information that was so vital. Lily just smiled at him all-too-innocently and that's all she had to do for James to make up his mind.

She wouldn't hesitate a second.

James swore under his breath and begrudgingly thrust the bag at her. "Here," he grunted with a scowl." Lily grinned at him and helped herself to a generous portion of pistachios. It was a portion that was a little _too_ generous for James' liking. "Hey!" he cried, snatching it back. "D'you mind? I actually _need _these!"

Lily chuckled and popped a few in her mouth. "Feeling a little tight-fisted, eh, Potter?" she asked. She grinned at him, making her cheeks puff out a bit from the pistachios in her mouth.

James glowered at her. "You'll be feeling just plain fist if you don't shut up," he threatened. Lily was just about to respond to that, but a severe, commanding voice right behind ear stopped her from doing so.

"Potter!" it yelled. Lily jumped in surprise, choking on the pistachios that had still been in her mouth. James casually gave her a sharp thump to the back.

"Brian!" Lily wheezed, swallowing the remainder of her food. "I'm really sorry I'm—" Brian shoved a watch into her face, silencing her effectively.

"Read that," he ordered. Lily glanced at James, who shrugged and gave her a look that said quite plainly, 'Don't look at me, it's your problem.'

Lily winced and said quietly, "Erm…seven forty."

"Hmm," Brian said, cocking his head and pretending to be thoughtful. "That's funny; I could have sworn I said that practice started at seven _thirty_. But how would I know? My word doesn't count for a thing around here. I'm just the lowly captain of the bloody team, so everyone knows that position holds no authority whatsoever."

"Sorry," Lily repeated. "I just…me—me and Lily—" James held his hands up and shook his head.

"Leave me out of it," he said to her quickly.

Lily glared at him before turning back to Brian, whose sarcastic demeanor was dropped and replaced by that of an angry one. "I was held up, Brian," she started to explain, but she was cut off for the third time.

"I don't want to here it, Potter," Brian said brusquely, folding his arms. "What I want is to see you in the air, flying like you've got one hundred Bludgers at your tail and passing like the Quaffle is a burning lump of coal. Do I make myself clear?" Lily nodded.

"Yeah," she said.

"Good," Brian replied. "Now, up in the air. We've got a match to prepare for." He turned to walk away, and Lily swore under her breath. _As soon as I get back into my body, _she thought savagely. _I never want to even hear the word Quidditch. _She was preparing to mount her broom, still scowling and muttering to herself, when James poked her in the back.

"What?" she demanded, turning around to face him.

James jerked his head to Brian's retreating back. "You forgot to tell him that you have detention," he told her. Lily snorted and shook her head.

"No I didn't," she said.

"What do you mean?" James said, looking puzzled. "You have detention in twenty minutes. I thought we agreed that you were going to tell him you had to leave early."

"So I've changed my mind," Lily snapped at him. She lifted about a foot off the ground and started to glide in midair. "Did you see him just now?" she continued. "He's already peeved off; I don't want to make it worse!" James crossed his arms and looked at her skeptically.

"What do you plan on doing?" he asked, as he started to walk beside her. "It's not like you can—if you're going to hover like that you might want to get lower to the ground…a little more…good—It' not like you can just sneak off." Lily pursed her lips and suddenly became very interested in the broom stick. "Wait," James said, looking at her carefully. "You're not going to do that, are you? Because you can't, so don't even think about it. You can't just sneak off from practice like that! You'll get in trouble with Brian." Lily smiled wryly. _He's started to sound like me, _she thought. Apparently, James was thinking the same thing. His eyes had widened slightly and he was looking a bit frantic. "Oh, Merlin, I just sounded like you," he muttered.

"Potter!" yelled Brian from above. "GET YOUR ARSE UP HERE!"

Lily sighed and looked up at Brian. "I guess I'd better get up there, then," she said reluctantly. She tilted the broom upwards and started to ascend to where the team was running through a drill.

"Don't forget to tell him about detention!" James shouted up at her. In a flash, Brian was beside Lily again.

"What was that?" he asked her, tossing the quaffle from hand to hand. "What was Lily going on about?"

"Well," she said carefully, avoiding his gaze. "I have to leave early because I have detention at eight." The words came out in a rush, but Brian didn't have to ask her to repeat the sentence. Out of frustration he hurled the Quaffle quite a distance from them, ignoring the distant cry of pain that came from Sirius when it collided with his head.

"Dammit, Potter!" Brian exclaimed angrily. "Why did you have to get detention now? Of all times to get a detention you have to choose one that's right before the second most important match in the season!" That was it for Lily; she had just explained feminine hygiene to sixteen year old boy, which had turned out to be extremely draining. She was tired, she was _very_ sore, and had little patience left.

This was probably why Lily did what she did next. "Look!" she shot back. "It isn't my fault, okay?" Sirius and the rest of the team heard her snap at Brian, and stopped their drill to listen in.

James groaned from his place on the ground and put his head in his hands. _I'll never be able to show my face on the pitch again after this, _he thought sullenly. "Please don't say anything stupid in addition to what you've already said," he pleaded quietly. Of course, that just couldn't happen.

"One night without me won't dismantle the team," Lily continued heatedly. "It's not like I strolled my way into detention with a happy smile on my face. So you can just back off!" She took a deep breath and angrily shoved a lock of black hair out of her eyes. Brian's eyebrows knitted together and he frowned slightly.

"That was way out of order, Potter," he said sternly. "You're lucky I don't take a bludger to your head and kick you off the team for that." Lucky for James his prayers were answered and Lily stayed silent, choosing to glower at the captain instead. Brian sighed and checked his watch. "Alright," he said tiredly. "It's nearly ten to. I'm assuming you have detention with McGonagall, correct?" Lily nodded. Brian rubbed his forehead. "Then you won't want to keep her waiting. Look Potter, why don't you go now? There's no point in staying anymore. But," he said, holding up his finger. "I expect you to be here for tomorrow night's practice before any of the others get here. And you had better be flying like Wesley Morgan did in the Quidditch World Cup last summer, do I make myself clear?"

Lily didn't miss a beat nor blink an eye before firmly replying, "Crystal." Brian looked at her grimly before flying away to the team, who up until then had been watching the display between the two intently. When they saw Brian swerve his broom towards them, the team quickly turned to each other and acted as though they had been innocently conversing the entire time instead of eavesdropping. Too distracted by her anger to be nervous, Lily descended to the ground and landed of the grass with a soft thud. Scowling, she thrust the broom into James and stalked off in a huff towards the school. James stood rooted to the ground for a moment, staring blankly at the broom. He was in a little bit of a shock, half because Lily hadn't gotten kicked off the team, and half because she had managed a descent landing.

When he came out of his stupor James rushed after her, hurrying to catch up. "Wait a second!" he called after. Lily ignored him and continued to storm up to the castle. "Evans!" James tried again. When she still didn't stop, he swore under his breath. _Somehow, _he thought as he pushed the doors open. _I always seem to end up chasing after her. How did she get so bloody fast? _"Would just slow down for a damn minute!" he exclaimed. Lily stopped at the bottom of the staircase so abruptly that James nearly crashed into her. Gasping to catch his breath his said, "Now, d'you…d'you think…you could…tell me...what…" He took another gulp of breath and demanded, "What the hell was the matter with you out there? You nearly got me kicked off the team. For good! Are you insane?"

"Oh, stuff it, Potter," Lily snapped at him. "I didn't need the Brian yelling at me and I don't need you to either."

James ignored her and continued to rant as they ascended the stairs, waving his hands around furiously. "You don't just—tell the captain off like that!"

"Why not?" Lily shot back.

"Because, you just don't! While you're in my body, Evans, you _can't_ jeopardize my position on the team. It means a lot to me, more than you'll understand. Once a person is kicked off, they can't get back on."

Lily rolled her eyes. "We wouldn't want that, now would we?" she said sarcastically. James grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from taking another step. Lily turned to wrench herself from his grip, and found that he was far from amused.

"Look," he said in a quiet voice. "I get that you don't like Quidditch, I even get that you suck at it. It may not be on your priority list, but it's at the top of mine. And while you're in my body, I want you to remember that and to respect that. Clear?" For the second time in her life, Lily found herself feeling thankful that she hadn't had to face James's temper when he was at his full size. She knew that she had a bad temper, but from previous hints in that week Lily had a feeling that hers was nothing compared to James'. She nodded mutely and James turned away from her, avoiding her gaze.

"Sorry," he muttered, removing his hand from her shoulder. "Must be the hormones."

Lily grinned, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "It's alright," she replied. "Sorry I blew up at Brian." James shrugged his shoulders, looking down at the broom in his hands.

"That was quite a hover you did out there," he commented amiably, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them. "Not bad of a landing either."

"I was distracted," Lily said modestly. "My mind wasn't really on the height or any of that."

"Didn't I tell you that all you had to do was relax?"

Lily gave him a look. "No."

"Well," James said with a wave of his hand. "I _implied_ it. You claim to be smart, don't you? You should have figured it out on your own." He gave Lily a lopsided grin and rapped her lightly on the head with his knuckles. "What's that I hear?" he joked. "Is that an echo inside of your hollow head? Losing your touch there, eh Evans? Will I be making my acceptance speech as the smartest and cleverest student at Hogwarts sometime soon?" Lily swatted his hand away from her head.

"Not on your pathetic excuse for a life, Potter," she laughed. James looked sulky and looked at Lily with puppy-eyes.

"That's not nice," he said, pretending to be wounded. Lily rolled her eyes again.

"That doesn't work on me, Potter," she said dryly. "Nor will it ever." At her words James instantly dropped his act.

"That's interesting," he said casually. "All the other girls completely melt when I do that."

"Quite the modest one, you are."

James ignored Lily's comment and stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "You're the one girl who doesn't fall for that," he continued softly, more to himself than to her. "Maybe you're just weird or something. Strangely, I find it all very intriguing."

"Can I go jump off a cliff now?" Lily interrupted. "I would much rather do that than listen to you talk anymore." James shrugged and smiled.

"By all means, go ahead," he said kindly. "Rid us all of such a nuisance. That way, we both get what we want. You don't have to listen to me talk and I don't have to see you ever again. Personally, I believe I have the better end of the deal." Lily snorted and glanced at her watch.

"Whatever," she said. "Look, I don't have time to reply to that—"

"Maybe 'cause you can't," James quipped brightly.

"—because I have a detention to get to," Lily finished, looking at him defiantly. She hitched her bag over her shoulder. "I'll see you later. And don't forget; every two hours."

"Like I'm going to forget something like that," James scoffed.

Lily grinned and shook her head. "Later, Potter," she said as she made her way into the Transfiguration classroom.

"Have fun, angel!" James called back cheerfully. He heard Lily mutter something under her breath moodily and slam the door shut. He grinned to himself and started to make his way up to Gryffindor Tower.

As James walked up the stairs, he reached into the bag of pistachios. However, he felt nothing but the bottom of the bag. Frowning, James held it up to his eyes for a closer examination. When he looked inside, he felt like he was in a dire crisis.

There were no more chocolate-covered pistachios left, and he had forgotten to ask Lily where to get more. That meant that it would be a whole four hours later until he could get another supply, maybe more. James suddenly felt like crying and cursing the world at the same time. He swore loudly and stomped the rest of his way up to tower, kneading his knuckles into the bottom of his aching back. One thing was for certain, James thought to himself.

He would _never _make a single joke about PMS ever again.

**A/N: WOOHOO! And there you have it. ****Flowers fly at author by the dozens I really hope I didn't disappoint anyone. And thanks to those who: a) understood and let me take my time writing this chapter, as I just wanted to make it the best since you all were waiting for it. THANK YOU to everyone that reviewed!**

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE! AND HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR! WHOO-HOO!**

**Until next time, and there WILL be one, **

**Spirit**


	11. Beauty DOES Know Pain

**A/N: **Hey there…grins guiltily I'm guessing you all noticed my prolonged absence, huh? Sorry about that, I truly had no idea it would take this long. Part of it isn't exactly my fault. But I did make the wait worth it, because this chapter is thirty-six pages long! NO JOKE! I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter, since it was what you were all waiting for. FIVE-HUNDRED AND SOMETHING REVIEWS IN TEN CHAPTERS! Wow, I feel loved!

ONE MORE THING: This is dedicated to all guys out there reading this who need to understand what we girls go through to look good for you! This is for: SZELIJ, CHAD, LUKE, BRAD, AND ALL OTHER FRIENDS OF INDIAN GURL WHO READ OVER HER SHOULDER!

Okay, with that all said, ONTO TO CHAPTER ELEVEN!

Chapter Eleven: Beauty DOES Know Pain

Lily shut the door to the Transfiguration classroom and yawned. She had just finished serving her detention, and was so tired she felt like she could have just fallen asleep on the ground. On the bright side Lily had finished all of her homework, just like James had promised her. She had even had gotten ahead on a few things.

Lily grinned as she made her way onto the second floor landing. _Who knew Potter would be the type to keep his word? _she thought. _Strange…_

Then again, the entire week hadn't exactly been normal.

Lily didn't hurry her way up to the Common Room, using the time to think about everything that had happened. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever be back in her own body. It had only been four days, but to Lily it had felt like four long years. She missed not being able to talk to Kate and Parker the way she could normally, she was constantly in pain because of the Quidditch practice, and she had had enough of that damn James Potter to last one hundred life times.

_Potter_… Lily thought irritably with a roll of her eyes.

James had tormented her from day one, always bothering her whenever he was looking for a good time. There had been so many occasions on which James had played tricks on her that Lily had lost count. This experience of spending every waking moment with him just proved that he remained to be the same boy as he was five years ago.

_He's insensitive…_Lily thought with a scowl.

But as soon as the word crossed her mind, a counterexample followed. Lily thought back to the moment when James had said that he would do anything for his friends, and the words he had yelled echoed in her mind. _I know what it's like to be lonely…_

Certainly not something an insensitive person would say.

_He's about as sincere as a Slytherin…_

But that wasn't really fair. Would a Slytherin spend as much time as James did teaching her the rules of Quidditch? Although Lily wasn't the best player in the world (far from it), James had been patient with her.

At least in the beginning.

_Doesn't have a serious bone in his body! _Lily thought furiously.

But that was completely untrue, and Lily knew it. Ever since they had switched bodies, James had showed Lily more than once that he had a temper. There had been times where the teasing twinkle in his eye had been extinguished in an instant, and where Lily found herself actually feeling afraid of his anger, although never let him know it.

No matter how begrudgingly she admitted it, Lily had to acknowledge the fact that there was a lot more to James Potter than she had ever imagined. He was a someone who had many sides, who was very careful about which one he showed the world.

Lily also had to accept the fact that "hate" was now to strong a word when it came to describe how she felt about James.

Despise? Maybe.

Dislike? Unquestionable.

Lily lifted the corner of her mouth in a half smile as she thought of a word that hadn't been connected to James a week ago. _Respect…_she thought wryly. _Most definitely._

Lily finally reached the Gryffindor portrait and tiredly looked up at Agatha. "H-hi A-a-aggie," she stammered through another yawn. Agatha paused in her spinning and smiled kindly at Lily.

"Hello, James," she said to her. "It's a good thing you're finally here. Maybe you can help her." Lily grinned at her and shifted the bag on her shoulder.

"Help who, Aggie?" she asked.

"Well," Agatha replied as she re-threaded the spindle. "Lily's been in a right state since she returned earlier this afternoon. Hasn't stopped pacing round the room at a'tall. Keeps muttering under her breath, she does. I believe she mentioned her own name once or twice as well." Lily sighed and rolled her eyes.

"All right," she relented. "Lion's Den." Agatha waved and swung open. Lily stumbled in and looked around. She spotted James pacing around the couch, running his hand through his hair. It was already sticking up in random places (_Oh God, _Lily thought. _He's having a bad influence on me _and _my hair_). A few students who were still relaxing by the fire kept casting curious looks at him. James turned and stopped abruptly when he saw Lily standing there. He strode up to her, looking slightly frantic.

"There you are!" he exclaimed loudly, ignoring angry looks from students. "Where have you been?" Lily blinked in surprise, taken aback by James' concern.

"Um…" she stammered. "In detention…" James waved his hand wildly.

"I _know _that," he said, waving his hand impatiently. "But that was over with at midnight. Your arse should have been back in this room one minute later, young lady!" he finished, jabbing his finger at his wristwatch. Lily snorted and pushed past him.

"Thank you for your concern, _mother_," she said scathingly. "I'm touched you care about me so much." James crossed his arms and followed Lily to the couch, where she had stretched out lazily.

"Care?" he repeated incredulously. "About _you_? Evans, I wouldn't have cared if you had been jumped by a thousand boggarts."

"Thanks so much," Lily muttered under her breath.

"The only thing I care about," James continued, plopping down next to her. "Is that I have gone four hours and nineteen minutes without one chocolate-covered pistachio. Count'em, Evans! That's two-hundred and fifty-nine minutes and—" He glanced at his watch again. "—_forty-one seconds!_ I've been in agony! Do you know what agony feels like?" During his rant James had leaned in closer to Lily.

"I will if you don't move away," she said, leaning away from James. James rolled his eyes again and shifted away from her.

"You forgot to tell me where to get more," he said to Lily. "I've been going insane. I don't think I can take it anymore! I went down to the kitchens but the elves said that there were none left!" James' breathing quickened and he once again started to rake his fingers through his red mane. "What if there aren't any left in the world? What am I going to do!" Lily caught his hand and pinned it to his side, preventing him from ruining her hair permanently.

"First of all," she said calmly. "You need to take a breath." James opened his mouth and took a gulp of air. "Second, the pistachios—" Lily paused and glanced at James. He was turning slightly red. It was then Lily realized that he hadn't exhaled. "Let it out, Potter, before you faint," she told him. James let his breath out in a rush of air.

"Thanks," he gasped. Lily looked down and grinned, trying not to start laughing.

"Second," she continued. "An order of chocolate-covered pistachios should be coming soon."

"How soon?" James asked immediately.

Lily shrugged and put a pillow under her head. "I don't know," she said with a shrug. "Perhaps around breakfast tomorrow morning. Lunch at the latest." Lily closed her eyes, smiling slightly when she heard James let out a cry of horror.

"That long?" he said in a dreaded whisper.

Lily laughed quietly. "Don't fuss, Potter," she told him gently, her eyes still closed. "You'll live." James knelt down by Lily's side, scowling at her.

"Easy for you to say," he said loudly in her ear. Lily groaned and put another pillow over her ear. James just lifted the corner of it and talked louder. "This is all your fault, you know! If you hadn't taken a bloody bushel of them for yourself, I might be peacefully eating my pistachios. I hope you're happy, Evans! Thanks to you, I'm not going to get a wink of sleep tonight because of that aching feeling in my stomach that should been filled by—mph!" James was cut off as a frowning Lily placed her hands on his face and shoved him away from her.

"Oh, shut up!" she muttered crossly. "It's only food! You can survive. Now go away! I'm tired and I want to go to sleep." Lily rolled over on her side and faced the back of the couch. James set his mouth in a line and picked up his wand. He quietly walked to the back of the couch. Then he raised his wand, muttered a spell, and bit down on his lip as a carefully-aimed stream of cold water shot into Lily's face.

"Dammit, Potter!" she yelled. More irritated looks were sent her way from the students across the room. She angrily wiped her face on the blanket. "I was just drifting off to sleep, you twit!" James just grinned at her and Lily lay her head back down on her pillow. "Can't you just leave me alone for a few hours?" she pleaded in a whiny voice. "_One _hour, even?"

James vaulted over the couch, landing next to Lily with a less-than-graceful plop. "Nope," he said cheerfully. "I feel that if I can't sleep, you should stay awake to keep me company. It's only polite, you know." Lily narrowed her eyes at him and he responded by smiling dazzlingly.

"One of these days, Potter," she said menacingly. "Who knows _what _I'm going to do to you one of these days! I wish I could just—!"

James grinned. "Tie me in a chair and give me a lap dance?" he finished for her cheekily.

Lily promptly whacked him on the back of his head with a book. "No!" she cried.

"Ow!" James exclaimed. "What are you, an Amazon? Why are you so damn violent all the time? Haven't you ever learned to use your words?"

"You use enough words for the entire school."

James grimaced as he touched his head gingerly. "I'm already losing enough blood from this period-thingy and you have to add to the pain," he grumbled under his breath. "I swear, by the time you get back to your own body there'll be nothing to get back to except a shriveled bag of skin. Then you'll be sorry…" Lily rolled her eyes as James continued to complain. She crossed her arms, leaned back on the couch, and closed her eyes.

Eventually, the quiet sound of James' angry griping lulled her to sleep.

The next morning Lily woke up with a feeling of growing dread, but she didn't know why. When she looked at James, who had fallen asleep with his cheek resting in his hand, the she remembered the reason why she had been dreading Friday evening.

At six-thirty, James would be in the meeting Derek Thomas outside the Gryffindor Common Room for their date. A date that Lily knew should belong to _her. _Lily groaned and rubbed her eyes; suddenly, she felt like staying on the couch until the end of the year.

Forcing down her trepidation, Lily threw back the blanket and heavily got to her feet. She stretched her arms and yawned widely. Just as she was about to wake James, someone clapped a hand on her back.

"Hey, mate," Sirius said cheerfully.

"'Morning," Lily muttered half-heartedly as she neatly folded the blanket. Sirius chuckled and folded his arms.

"No need to be so cheerful," he said jokingly. "Hey, shouldn't you be a bit happier, though? Aren't you going on that date with what's-her-name?" When Lily gave him a puzzled look, Sirius continued. "You know, Veronica. Or maybe it was Vanessa? No, no, I'm pretty sure it was Victoria."

"For the last time," said an exasperated Remus, who was coming down the stairs. "The girl's name was _Valerie_."

Sirius waved his hand impatiently. "Minor detail," he said carelessly. "So Prongs, what happened with her?"

Lily had to think back a few days before answering. "She cancelled it," she said with a shrug.

Sirius let out a hoot of laughter while Remus raised a skeptical eyebrow. "She cancelled it?" he repeated disbelievingly.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Lily asked, frowning slightly as she straightened up the pillows on the couch. "Why is it that everyone thinks that it's impossible for someone to turn down the mighty James Potter?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged glances before Remus said, "If not impossible, then highly improbable, James."

"Exactly," agreed Sirius. 'You've never been turned down before, and there's only one person who would ever do so without hesitation."

"Who's that?" Lily murmured absentmindedly.

"Like you don't know," Sirius scoffed with a grin. "The beautiful auburn-haired spit fire that sleeps soundly right over there."

Lily rolled her eyes, grabbed a nearby pillow and unceremoniously whacked James on the head with it. "Get up," she said shortly. With his eyes still closed, James scowled and threw the pillow back at her. "Come on, _Evans_," Lily said impatiently. "We don't have time for this! You have to wake up, _now_."

"Don't be so harsh, Jamsie," Sirius said with a smile.

Still half asleep, James reluctantly pulled himself into a position on the couch and grumbled irritably, "Sirius, I swear to God if you call me _Jamesie_ one more time I'll knock your damn block off." Sirius looked at Remus, his curious expression clearly asking 'What's with her?' Remus shrugged.

Lily bent down to pick up a pillow to hide her smile; she had forgotten to tell James that during his period, his irritability would be worse in the morning. _Oh well, _Lily thought. _He certainly knows now! _

"Morning, sunshine!" Sirius said brightly.

"Go to hell," James muttered grumpily, rubbing his eyes. "I need coffee…" he said. He pushed passed a very baffled Sirius and picked up his bag. Then he stumbled his way out of portrait door. In his sleepy haze, he had forgotten to change out of his pajamas. Before he had slammed the door shut, Lily made sure to point her wand at him and change his clothes.

When he was gone, Remus turned to Lily and asked, "What's up with her?"

Lily grinned and shrugged. "She's feeling a bit…cross this morning."

"You know," Sirius said to Remus, looking thoughtful. "Lily just called herself James. That's the second time she's done that this week." Lily froze.

This wasn't good.

It wasn't good at all.

Remus frowned. "Yeah, she hasn't really been herself this week has she?"

"Oh, you know," Lily said with a nervous laugh. "It's just…PMS! You know how girls are…with the…pm…pms…stuff." _Smooth, Lily, _she thought. _Way to act like Potter. _

"You know what, James," Remus said, turning to her. "You haven't really been yourself this week, either."

Lily forced an innocent smile on her face. "What are you talking about, Remus?" she said in a false, overly-cheerful tone. "I'm fine…perfectly fine…" Lily trailed off and averted her gaze; she had to get away from those two before she made things worse. "You know what? Class starts soon, and I'm hungry so…I'll…see you guys later." Lily quickly grabbed her bag and hurried out of the Common Room before Sirius or Remus could question her anymore.

The two boys stared after her for a moment. Remus sighed and sank down on the couch. "There's something extremely weird going on here," he said to Sirius. "James has been spending time doing his homework other than the ten minutes he has before it's due."

"He hasn't kissed a girl in a week," said Sirius, looking a bit worried. "And you should see him on the pitch. He's terrible!"

"He hasn't been on a date, either," added Remus. "Then there's the time he's been spending with Lily. They've been inseparable all week. James hasn't been talking to us as much. _And _they've both been sleeping down here on the couch. _Together."_

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the arm on the chair. Both boys were quiet for a few minutes as they let their thoughts sink in. "There's definitely something going on here," Remus finally declared again.

"I know," Sirius agreed. "What do you think it is?" The two were both quiet for a moment, and the same thought seemed to have struck them. Sirius looked at Remus, slightly alarmed. "You don't think they're dating, do you?"

Remus slowly shook his head, biting his lip. "I'm not sure. But we're going to have to keep an eye on them."

"Right…" Sirius said. Remus noticed that Sirius sounded a bit distant and turned his head to face him. Sirius's had a slight grin spreading on his face and was staring over by the portrait door. Remus looked there just in time to see Parker and Kate slip out.

He turned back to Sirius, a teasing expression now taking over his features. "Ah," he said slyly. "It looks like your eye on something other than Lily and James, eh Padfoot?" Sirius just smiled and swept his hair back; he was never one to be embarrassed. "When are you going to realize that Parker is _never_ going to go out with you?" Remus said with a laugh.

"Please!" Sirius scoffed haughtily. "James may have lost his touch, but I certainly haven't." To prove it, he turned around and called out, "Hey, Teresa!" Across the room, a petite girl with short blond hair looked up from the book she was reading.

"What?" she yelled back. Surprisingly, she didn't look fazed in the least.

"Wanna go out with me on Saturday night?"

Teresa rolled her eyes. "I have a boyfriend, Sirius."

Sirius smiled cheekily. "I won't tell if you don't," he said slyly.

Teresa sighed and heavily got to her feet, making her way to the portrait door. "You are such a sod," she said to Sirius as she passed him.

Completely bewildered, Sirius flopped back down on the couch staring blankly ahead with his mouth slightly open. Remus on the other hand, was bent over with his elbows on his knees and head bowed down, shoulders shaking from his laughter.

Sirius snapped out of his stupor and glared at Remus. "It's not funny!" he said indignantly.

Remus lifted his head, grinning ear to ear as he said, "May I offer a piece of advice that you might find helpful?"

"Yeah, sure," Sirius grumbled.

Remus casually put an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Next time, Sirius," he said knowingly, "don't ask out a girl other than the one that you're interested in. I'm no expert, but I hear it could be a real turn-off."

Sirius looked at Remus, eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion. "But…why?"

Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. _I should have expected an answer like that. _

Down in the Great Hall, James Potter was not a happy person.

He sat at the table with arms folded on the table and his chin resting on top, sullenly poking at his breakfast. Although normally James piled on the pancakes, eggs, and bacon, he didn't feel like eating anything except for his chocolate-covered pistachios. And unfortunately, they hadn't come yet. Not even coffee could relieve his craving, and that was very bothersome since James thought coffee was the remedy for everything. James sighed. _I'm stuck in a body with an aching back and a bloated stomach, with my emotions completely out of whack, and there's absolutely nothing to console me, _he thought piteously.

James heaved another great sigh and looked around the room, wondering just how many girls had their periods at that very moment. Now that he knew what it was like to go through hell that was PMS, he saw girls in a whole different light. _How can they act like everything's normal? _he thought in slight awe. James was surprised none of them were doubled over in pain, yelling their lungs out. Truth be told, he had a whole knew respect for girls because of what they had to go through every single month.

Not that he could ever say that aloud, _especially _not to Lily.

James straightened up and propped his elbow on the table. It seemed clear that the pistachios weren't coming at breakfast, so he decided just to eat what was there. _I never thought I would be reluctant to eat a meal, _James thought wryly as he took a bite out of his food.

As James quietly ate his breakfast, he suddenly felt pair of lips on his cheeks. It took him completely by surprise, and he dropped his fork and immediately began to wipe his cheek. "Ugh!" he cried, making a face. Then he demanded, "Who did that?" James whipped around and a confused Derek came into his view. "Oh," he said, not bothering to act excited. "It's you." _I'm really beginning to regret saying yes, _he thought ruefully.

Derek slung one leg over the bench, looking concerned. "You okay, Lily? Sorry I startled you."

James rolled his eyes and returned to his food. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

Either Derek didn't notice James's attitude, or he ignored it. "So," he said, grinning. "Tonight's the night. Looking forward to it?"

"Can't wait," James said dully.

"Listen, Lily," Derek said seriously. "Remember when I wanted to change the date from seven to six-thirty?"

"No."

Derek laughed, thinking James was being sarcastic. "That's what I like about you, Lily," he chuckled. "You have a great sense of humor."

"Ha-ha-ha!" James forced out, a big fake smile plastered on his face.

"Anyway," Derek continued. "I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to switch it again. This time, it's back to seven o'clock. Is that alright with you?"  
"I'm sure I'll go on somehow," James answered dryly.

Derek smiled. "Great," he replied.

He stood up and bent over to give James another kiss, but James quickly leaned away and held up a hand. "You know what," he said. "Why don't we save that for later? We don't want to move to fast, know what I mean?" Derek paused a moment before he straightened up, and smiled at him instead.

"Alright," he said to James. "I'll see you later then." With that, Derek left to go sit at his house table.

When Derek was clear out of ear shot, James muttered to himself, "Unfortunately not as late as I would want." At that moment, Lily walked down and sat across from him.

"What was that?" Lily asked worriedly. as served herself. "What was Derek doing over here? What did he say? Did he cancel the date? Answer me, Potter!"

"I will if you shut up for a minute!" James snapped at her. "Relax, all he did was push the date up to seven. Yay for me," he added under his breath.

Lily smirked at him and took a bite out of her biscuit. "Serves you right. Didn't I tell you to—?"

"Evans," James growled. "If you even _try_ to finish that sentence you won't be able to, because that roll will be permanently lodged in your throat."

Lily grinned. "Sorry," she said. "Look, after the last class I'll help you get ready, okay?"

"What's to get ready?" James asked, frowning slightly. "Can't I just throw on an outfit?"

Lily stared at him disbelievingly. "Wow," she said. "You have a _lot _to learn about being a girl." Before James could ask what she meant, the Parker and Kate sat down at the table.

"Hey, you two," Kate said cheerfully.

"Morning," Lily and James dully replied in unison.

"So Lily," Parker said to James, grinning from ear to ear. "Tonight's the big night!"

"I know." Again, Lily and James said it at the same time, both looking glum.

Parker gave Lily a strange look before looking back to James. "Shouldn't you be more excited Lily?" she asked him. "You've liked Derek for a long time. When he asked you out, you danced around on your bed for an hour."

James looked a Lily and smirked strange. "Oh, really?" he asked teasingly. Lily blushed and looked down at her plate.

"Yeah," said Kate. "But now you look like you'd rather go out on a date with the giant squid in the lake."

"Is that an option?" James asked hopefully. One blazing glare from Lily told him that it wasn't.

"Is everything alright?" asked Parker.

James sighed and nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"Are you sure?" Kate asked doubtfully.

"Not at all," James answered sullenly.

Right then, Remus and Peter sat down on either side of Lily. Sirius plopped down next to Parker and smiled brightly. "Morning, sweetheart!" he said cheerfully to her.

Across the table, Remus rolled his eyes and served himself a plate of eggs. "Here we start," he muttered. "He'll never learn."

Parker groaned. "Sirius!" she said exasperatedly. "Go!"

Sirius blinked in surprise. "Go where?" he asked.

"Go to France, go to Russia, go anywhere you want! Just go far away from me!" Parker stood up in a huff, grabbed a muffin, and stalked out of the Great Hall. Sirius turned back to the others and grinned. "I think she's warming up to me, don't you?"

"No," they all answered.

"You're going about it all the wrong way, Sirius," Kate said matter-of-factly.

"How do _you_ know?" Sirius asked indignantly.

Kate took a bite out of her bacon and shrugged. "I don't," she said coolly. "But I suppose if you were going after Parker the _right _way, she wouldn't be running in the other direction, would she?" Kate picked up her bag and went off to her next class, leaving Sirius stunned.

"Why do girls always have to act like they know everything?" he grumbled.

"Because they think they do," answered Remus.

"But how?" Peter pressed.

"It's the sorority of Satan," James mumbled monotonously, thinking of all the times Lily had acted all-knowing.

Lily smirked as the boys all sighed.

"Can't live with 'em," sighed Remus.

"But we _definitely_ can't live without'em," finished Sirius, sulkily poking at his breakfast.

"I _hate_ Charms," said James vehemently a few hours later as he and Lily made their way to Herbology. "It's a stupid class that no one will ever use in life."

Lily grinned and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "You know," she said to James. "That could be a reasonable argument if it weren't for it being absolute crap. Charms are used in every profession. As a healer you use it to dull the pain and heal cuts and bruises. As an Auror, you use it in almost every situation and it can save your life. As a Herbologist—"

"Maybe one day, years from now," James interjected, his voice dripping in sarcasm, "you will realize that you are a person and not a pamphlet."

"And one day maybe _you_ will be able to cast a decent color-changing spell," Lily shot back. "Although I doubt it. How hard can it be to change a red apple to a green one?"

"Extremely!" James said hotly.

"Well, I never thought it could be," snorted Lily. "But obviously you have proved that theory wrong, Potter."

"Maybe if you hadn't been screeching at me like banshee I would have gotten it!"

Lily wrenched the door to the greenhouse open, narrowly missing hitting a startled Hufflepuff in the face. "Anyone would have gotten impatient if someone turned an apple _blue_, Potter," she said scathingly as she threw her bag down on the table. "There is no such _thing_ as a blue apple. And it's certainly understandable that I got a _little _bit upset when you turned the damn thing _brown! _Who ever heard of a brown apple? At least blue is closer to green!"

"APPLES CAN BE BROWN, EVANS!" James shouted, losing it. "WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS WHEN THEY ROT!"

"They become excellent compost for plants," said Professor Oaks sternly, effectively cutting off Lily's response. "Sit down, Potter. Five points for shouting in my class, Ms. Evans. You know not to shout in here, it disturbs the mandrakes."

"Like I give a hippogriff's hairy arse," James muttered under his breath with a scowl, sinking into his seat.

"What was that, Evans?" demanded Oaks sharply.

"Nothing," James answered, harsher than he had meant to. "Professor," he added respectfully. But it came too late.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Ms. Evans, for your back talk," the Professor said severely. James' scowl deepened as Professor launched into that day's lesson. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lily lean in closer to him with a glower on her face. "Shut up, Evans," he told her sharply as she opened her mouth, not bothering to turn his head. "If you don't have anything helpful to say—and that's not uncommon—I suggest you keep your mouth shut for _once_ in your life because I am _not_ in the mood." James was astonished when Lily actually listened to him and kept silent.

James took out a quill and sheet of parchment and idly started to doodle as he let Professor Oaks' words go through one ear and out the other. He bit down hard on his bottom lip and his scowl seemed to be permanently etched into his features. All of a sudden, he felt frustrated with everyone. Frustrated with Lily, who always seemed to think she was right about everything; frustrated with Derek, who didn't have the smarts to be able to tell that James _hated _to be kissed by him (_And he call's himself a Ravenclaw,_ James thought scornfully); frustrated with Dumbledore who couldn't fix this mess he and Lily were in; and frustrated with his friends because they couldn't tell who he really was. _They should know me by now, _James thought heatedly. _Sirius has known me since I was young. How could he ever think that _I _would be sorry to have cursed Malfoy, or that I would call a Quaffle a damn _waffle!

There was another thing, now that he thought of it.

James didn't need to be a Seer to know that the Quidditch game on Saturday would be an absolute disaster. It would kill him to be sitting in the stands, watching Lily doing something that she had the nerve to call "flying" in front of hundreds of people. To make matters worse, it had to be the game right before they played against Slytherin for the cup. _Correction,_ James thought sourly. If _we play for the cup, _So far Gryffindor hadn't lost a match this year, and James felt that if his team lost due to "his" terrible playing, he would be too ashamed to ever mount a broom again.

_Then again, _James thought wistfully. _I could never stay away from Quidditch for too long. _James thought back to what he had said to Lily the other day, about her not knowing a wit how important the game was to him. It angered him that she had assumed yet again.

But that wasn't unusual. People always assumed things about James Potter.

They assumed that he was a natural-born Quidditch player, when in the beginning James had to work hard to be able to take off correctly. It had taken him weeks to learn how to stay on his broom without sliding to the end. It had taken him months to perfect his aim when he threw the Quaffle into the hoop. It had taken him years to be as good as he was today. The only reason people thought he was a natural was because he had learned all of this at an early age, before he came to Hogwarts.

Assumptions. All of them.

His grandfather had taught him that word at the age of seven, after James had collided with the ground rather than landed on it and wailed that he would never be good at Quidditch. "_That's an assumption, my boy! Never assume, Jimmy. It makes an ass out of you and me." _ James chuckled softly as he thought of the phrase. It had taken him a long time to understand the joke hidden in the words of the sentence.

James grinned wryly at the memory; his grandfather was saying things like that. He was never one to play the stereotypical role of a grandfather. He was the walking definition of dignified in appearance, with his thick, white mustache neatly groomed. His hair was always brushed and parted slightly to the left side, no matter what time of day or night. Indeed, Matthew Potter was extremely distinguished, and known for it, but those who got to know him knew very well that he would talk loudly and swear like a sailor. James' mother had hated it. James had to stifle a laugh when he remembered the time his mother had thrown a fit after his grandfather offered James a glass of brandy.

"You can't give a _brandy_ to a six-year-old!" she had raged, pouring it down the drain. "What were you thinking? Are you trying to turn him into an alcoholic before he's ten!"

"Nonsense, Marian!" Matthew Potter had thundered, gulping down his own glass. "A bit of brandy won't bloody kill the boy. That's bullocks! It's good for the heart, I tell you! Why, when I was his age I swallowed three glasses of it each day. And look at me, I'm as strong as a damn phoenix!"

_That wasn't the only disagreement that had, _James thought with a smile. On more than one occasion, Marian and Matthew would squabble endlessly.

"Why can't you act a normal grandfather?" Marian Potter would say to him crossly. "One who tells his grandchild sweet stories while sitting by the fire and gives him candy?"

"Because I don't want him to drop dead of boredom, that's why!" Matthew Potter's voice would boom with his pipe dangling out of the corner of his mouth, gesturing his hands wildly. "The boy needs some bloody excitement in his life, Marian, excitement! Needs some experience and fresh air in his lungs, or he'll be as lazy as all hell, that's what I say. Why, when _I _was his age, staying indoors all the time was known as idle!" he would end, banging his fist on the table. Then Marian would shake her head and mutter darkly under her breath, shooting glares at James and his father who would be trying hard to contain their laughter and failing miserably.

But James knew his mother had been fond of his grandfather. If she hadn't been, Marian would have just ignored him rather than bicker. She would always call him Matt just to upset him. If anything bothered Matthew Potter, it was being called Matt.

"_Matt_," he would say in disgust each time he heard it. "A filthy name! It is a common object used to wipe one's feet on. Nobody wipes their damn feet on a Potter! Never call you're children that, Jimmy! You come from royalty and should name your children as such!"

James cracked a grin. His grandfather was always very proud and opinionated, but could also be a kid at heart.

It had been his grandfather who had taught James all he knew about Quidditch. If it hadn't been for Matthew Potter, James probably never would have gotten involved in the game. His grandfather had always had a love for it, and when he grew too old (or at least, that's how Marian Potter put it. James' grandfather preferred "overly mature" or "well-seasoned" instead of old) mount a broom, he began to teach James. That was how James had grown close to him, and that was how he continued to feel close to him after he died. In addition to loving the sensation he felt while in the air, James felt like the game was his only way of keeping that special connection to his grandfather.

But no.

James' smile faded as he looked over to Lily, who was diligently taking notes on Professor Oaks' lecture. He knew very well that Lily thought he only played Quidditch for the status, and as usual, she was dead wrong. Status didn't have anything to do with it. James' mouth, which was set in a grim line, slowly curled into a smirk.

But it didn't hurt, either.

Forty-five minutes later Lily was making her way to Muggle Studies, while James was going up to Transfiguration (the only reason he was going was because Lily had threatened to go out in onto the Quidditch Pitch in a dress. Unfortunately, he also had to _behave_ to keep her from doing it).

Lily was walking down the hall towards the classroom and was a few feet from the door, when Sirius and Remus suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her way. The both folded their arms, eyebrows raised and smirks playing on their lips.

"Er…" Lily said uncertainly. "Hey guys…"

"Why hello," Sirius said, grinning brightly. "Harold."

_Who's Harold?_ Lily thought bewilderedly.

"How's it goin'?" Remus said conversationally. "How are…" Remus paused and wiggled his eyebrows. "…_things?_"

Lily looked confused. "Um…" she said, looking from Remus to Sirius. "They're fine. You know, we really should get to class." Lily made to go around them, but the two boys immediately stepped in front of her. She moved again to the left, but Remus and Sirius matched her movements and blocked her again. Lily scowled. "What are you doing?" she said impatiently. "Do you see how there are no other people out here? They're in this silly little thing called class, imagine that! Now _move_."

Remus and Sirius looked surprised, yet amused. "Chill, Prongs," Sirius said, smiling serenely. "We just want to talk to you. It seems like we haven't talked for days."

"We've talked!" Lily protested, shifting the bag on her shoulder. "What do you think we did before breakfast this morning? And yesterday, and the day before—"

"That's not what we mean, buddy," said Remus, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Lately, you've been spending a lot of time with someone _other _than us."

"A certain…_girl_ perhaps?" said Sirius slyly, also slinging an arm around her. "An auburn haired beauty slash spitfire, to be exact." Completely perplexed by their insinuations, Lily let Remus and Sirius steer her away from the Muggle Studies classroom.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, tensing up between the two boys

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "We're talking about you dating Lily without telling us," he said bluntly.

Remus took his arm from James' shoulder and smacked Sirius on the back of the head. "Way to be tactful, Sirius," he said sarcastically.

"He was being too slow on the uptake," Sirius shot back. "We don't have all day."

"Wait a minute," Lily said, waving her hands and closing her eyes for a moment. "You think that _that _egotistical bag of scum and I are…going out?"

"That's not very nice," Sirius said, frowning slightly. "But yeah, we think that you and _Lily _are going out."

Lily snorted. "Under what pretense?" she asked skeptically. "Have you not noticed the way we were at each other's throats in Herbology today? And how about at Transfiguration on Tuesday? Or, here's a good one, how about the way we've despised each other for the past _six years?_"

"Yes," Remus said calmly. "But we've also noticed the way you've been spending time with each other for the past week. You sit together in class, you walk together down the halls, _and _you've been sleeping together on the couch in the Common Room. You've even laughed together a few times! What are we supposed to think?"

Lily groaned and rubbed her forehead. For a moment, she was seriously considering telling Remus and Sirius about the switching accident. "Look," she said tensely. "I know what this seems like but you've _got _to believe me when I say it's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" Remus asked with an eyebrow quirked.

Lily paused, casting around for the right words. "Well…" she said delicately. "It's…um…very complicated and…twisted. But _not_ as twisted a concept as me and Pot—Evans and I being in any other relationship other than enemy-ship!" Lily cringed at the last part. _Is that even a word?_ she thought.

Sirius clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Denial, thy name is James," he said solemnly.

"Sirius, thy name is clueless!" Lily shouted in frustration. "Can I go to class now?"

Remus and Sirius glanced at each other doubtfully. "Sure, James," Remus said. Lily breathed a quiet sigh of relief and started to walk to the classroom, almost ten minutes late.

When Remus and Sirius didn't follow her she stopped with her hand on the doorknob and faced them. She got the distinct feeling they had been talking quietly, because Sirius looked much too interested in the gargoyle mounted on the wall. "Aren't you coming?" she asked Remus.

"Why don't you go on ahead?" he replied, smiling innocently. "Tell the Professor we'll be there in a minute."

Lily sighed again and rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered. Very inaudibly she added, "boys" in a irritated voice.

Sirius waited until she disappeared behind the door before turning to Remus and saying, "I think we're onto something here, Moony."

"I dunno, Sirius," Remus said dubiously. "James denied it pretty profusely."

"Exactly!" cried Sirius, smiling and holding up a finger. "Denial is the first confession of the truth."

"That, Padfoot, is an oxy-moron," Remus said pointedly. "And you, my friend, are just a plain moron."

"No, I mean it!"

"So do I."

"No, really," Sirius said, getting enthusiastic and beginning to pace. "What if…say Lily and James started going out, right? They meet in empty classrooms to have mad, passionate trysts between classes and they want to keep their relationship a secret because all of James' exes keep trying to poison Lily's food out of pure jealously and Lily's keep trying to beat James up! And they plan to elope this summer!" Sirius paused and added, "Lily and James, not the exes."

Remus blinked. "Have you been reading Parker's romance novels?"

"No! It all makes perfect sense!"

"Maybe in your conflicted world," Remus said, looking at Sirius amusedly. "I don't think the situation is that dramatic, but I _do _think we need to keep watching them. There is something going on here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it."

Sirius chuckled and nudged Remus playfully. "A regular Sherman Holmes, eh Moony?"

Remus gave Sirius a patronizing look and twisted the doorknob to the classroom. "It's _Sherlock_ Holmes, Sirius. _Sherman_ Holmes is the proctologist in Diagon Alley."

"We have to get ready _now?" _whined James. He was being tugged along by Lily right after the last class ended that day, who insisted that they had to start getting ready to meet Derek immediately. "It's only three-thirty, Evans," James continued. "I have to meet the blasted loony named Devon at seven. That's almost _four_ _hours_ from now! Why do girls always have to start getting ready for a date a century before it actually happens?" James wrenched his wrist from her grip and stuffed a fist-full of chocolate-covered pistachios in his mouth, which had arrived a lunch just as Lily promised.

"First of all," Lily said briskly, giving James a withering look. "His name is _Derek_. Second, I normally wouldn't start getting ready until five-fifteen or five-thirty—"

"Oh yes," James said scathingly through a full mouth. "That's _much _better."

"—but since I have to teach you everything," Lily said, raising her voice. "We have to start now." Her forehead wrinkled worriedly and she rubbed her eyes. "Oh, there's so much we have to do," she moaned. "We have to pick an outfit, do your nails, shave your legs—"

"Will I be showing them?" James interrupted.

"—fix your hair—"

"Is it broken?" joked James with a playful grin.

"—pluck your eyebrows—"

All amusement melted off of James' face. "That sounds painful," he said wearily.

"And we need to do your make-up," Lily finished with a sigh.

James paused, his hand full of pistachios and half-way up to his mouth. It hadn't even crossed his mind that he would have to wear make-up.

He found it highly disturbing.

"No," he said bluntly.

"No what?" Lily asked, puzzled.

"I'm _not_ wearing make-up," James said firmly. "I don't _do_ make-up."

Lily just shrugged and continued to make her way up to Gryffindor Tower. "Of course not," she said serenely. "I'll be doing it for you. Now hurry up! We'll be getting ready in the Prefect's bathroom, and I have to get a bunch of things from my dorm before everyone else comes up. Quidditch practice is at seven thirty, but I have to be out there around twenty minutes early or else Brian will have my head. Plus I have to go down the Library before to do some research, so it would be very helpful if you would cooperate without a fuss."

James smirked at her. "In that case, I'll make sure I don't."

Lily exhaled and closed her eyes; she didn't have the time, or the patience, to deal with this. "Then in _that_ case," she, turning and smiling sweetly at James. "I'll make sure to wear my shortest dress to the Quidditch game tomorrow. And I don't think it will look as appealing on a sixteen-year-old boy riding a broom."

James narrowed his eyes at her. "That's low, Evans," he said.

Lily shrugged and turned the corner. "Hey, it had to be done." She paused for a moment and glanced at James. "By the way," she added. "Who's Harold?"

James's eyes widened and he coughed violently, choking on a pistachio. "Wh-what?" he stammered, paling considerably.

"Who's Harold?" Lily repeated. "I was talking to Sirius and Remus earlier today, and Sirius called me Harold."

James shifted uneasily and looked away, a light blush coloring his cheeks. "I dunno," he muttered.

Lily studied him for a moment and a smirk grew on her lips. "You _do _know," she said gleefully, understanding finally. But she wanted to hear it from James himself. "You know who this 'Harold' is, don't you Potter?"

James groaned and closed his eyes. "Alright," he relented. "Alright, I'll tell you. The reason why Sirius called Harold is because…" James sighed and lowered his voice. "…It'smyrealname," he said quickly under his breath. Lily let out a snort of laughter and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes shiny with mirth. "It's not funny!" James cried indignantly. "I _hate _that name. It doesn't fit me at all."

"You're name is _Harold!_" Lily gasped in delight. "The mighty, smooth, and elegant James-who-thinks-his-cooler-than-everyone-Potter's name is _Harold! _Oh, that's great!"

"Shut up!" James exclaimed, scowling at her.

Lily quieted her laughter. "Sorry," she murmured. But a smile was still on her face, and it showed no signs of fading.

James' resentful expression was replaced with a pensive one. "Hmm," he said slowly. "He usually only calls me that when he's teasing me about something, or trying to find something out. What did he say?"

"Nothing, really," Lily said, grimacing and shaking her head. "He and Remus were interrogating me because they think you and I are dating."

James groaned. "Again?" he said.

Lily nodded. "They think the reason we've been talking so much is because we're going out. Ridiculous, I know," she added when James let out a doubtful snort. "But I think we're going to be watched for a while, so we'd better be on our guard. So…" Lily gave James a side glance and grinned at him. "…_Harold_, eh?"

James cringed and nodded. "Yeah," he admitted reluctantly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I _hate_ that name. It was the name of my great-grandfather on my mother's side. I guess it's some sort of family thing or something, because it's my cousin's name, too. Luckily, my parents have decided to save me from any more humiliation and call me James, my middle name. I think it suits me much better. But Sirius and Remus—Sirius especially—love to torment me about it."

Lily snickered. "I don't blame them," she said. "_Harold_." She covered her mouth with her hand again, but a only snort escaped through her nose.

"It's not _that_ funny," James said indignantly.

"Yes, it is!"

James made a face at her before saying the password to the portrait. "Evans, that is a secret that you will take to your grave. Understood?" he said under his breath as they entered the Common Room.

Lily scrunched up her nose thoughtfully. "You know," she said. "Somehow that isn't as threatening coming from a person named Harold. It sort of takes the fear factor out of everything."

James exhaled loudly. Clearly, there was only one way to keep Lily from telling. "Please?" he pleaded, his tough demeanor gone. Lily looked at him in surprise. "I'm serious, Evans." James paused and bit his lip. "_Please _don't tell anyone?" he added.

Lily sighed and rolled her eyes. "Alright," she relented. "I won't tell anyone."

James let out the breath he had anxiously been holding. "Thanks."

Lily grinned mischievously. "Of course," she said, a hint of teasing in her voice. "You _do_ know that makes excellent material for blackmail."

James smiled in a way that was identical to hers. "If you say anything, I'll tell Remus you liked him in third year."

Lily gasped and her eyes widened in horror. "How'd you know about that?" she demanded.

James shrugged and sat down on the arm of the couch, looking smug. "I have my ways, Evans. I have my ways."

Lily clenched her teeth. "Fine," she said tensely. "Let's both just forget we had this conversation, deal?"

"What conversation?" James said innocently.

"Perfect," Lily said. She checked her watch looked up the stairs towards the dorms. "Alright, it's about three-forty now. I have to go up and get a few things to get ready. I need you to come up with me to the Girl's Dorm and—"

"Why, Evans," James interrupted, smirking at her. "I never thought I would hear you say those words. Who knew you felt that way about me?"

"Oh, please," scoffed Lily. "I'm not even going to bother responding to that. C'mon, we don't have much time until the others get back."

Making sure no one else in the Common Room was paying much attention, Lily and James made their way up to the Girl's Dorms. After Lily sent James in to make sure no other girls were there, she walked over to her wardrobe while James settled himself on one of the beds.

"Okay," Lily said, running a hand through the black mop on her head. "We don't have much time. I have no idea what I'm—I mean what _you're_ going to wear, so I'm just going to bring a bunch of my favorite things and we'll choose later." She opened the doors with a loud _creak_ and started to rummage through the contents.

James watched as Lily pulled out a number of different colored skirts, pants, and shirts, mumbling to herself about what would match. After she had a considerable amount of things chosen, she walked over to James and set them down in front of him. James picked up one of the shirts, which happened to be a black halter top, and studied it curiously.

"You like wearing _these?_" he asked Lily, who had gone to her dresser drawers searching for jackets.

She turned around for a moment to see what he was talking about. "Yeah," she said, turning back to the dresser.

A grin began to spread on James' face. "Really?" he said, holding the top up and looking at it appraisingly. "You know, I happen to find these sorts of shirts kind of…sexy on a girl."

Lily stopped what she was doing and looked at James. "You…do?" she said uncertainly.

James' grin broadened as he nodded his head. "Yep," he said cheerfully. "Very much so, in fact."

Lily walked over to James, took the shirt out of his hands, and studied it herself. "Damn," she said, looking wistful. "I really like this shirt."

James cocked an eyebrow. "I knew you weren't immune to the Potter charm," he told her, smirking at her. "I guess you'll be wanting to wear it all the time now?"

Lily turned the shirt over in her hands and shook her head, frowning slightly. "No," she said thoughtfully. "It's a bloody shame you like this, Potter."

James chewed his pistachios slowly, looking baffled. "Why's that?"

Lily tossed the halter top over her shoulder and went back to the dresser. "Because," she said ruefully, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Now I'll have to burn it."

Derek and his fellow seventh-year Ravenclaw, Anthony Nelson, watched as the Ravenclaw Quidditch team practiced for the game that was to take place the next day.

Anthony turned to Derek and grinned, his blond hair whipping about from the light breeze. "So," he said slyly. "Big date tonight with that Gryffindor, huh? What's her name again?"

"Lily Evers or something like that," Derek answered, eyes on the blue blurs soaring above.

"She cute?" inquired Anthony.

Derek laughed and bumped his friend's shoulder with his. "D'you think I'd have asked her otherwise?" he said. "She's the one of the hottest girls in her year. Quite a looker. A bit of brain, though, if you know what I mean. Always on about her studies. I heard about a month ago that she had eyes for me. Can't get any easier than that."

"What about Charlene? I thought you liked her, but now you're going after this Lily?"

Derek rolled his eyes and gave his friend a pointed look. "When did I ever say I _liked_ Lily?"

Anthony frowned slightly and contemplated Derek's words. "Okay, so she's younger _and _a brainiac. Well, _that_ doesn't sound like much fun." Anthony paused. "Wait a minute," he said slowly. "The only other reason you would ask _her_ out is…" Derek smirked and raised his eyebrows suggestively. Anthony's jaw dropped open. "You snagged a _virgin?"_

"Yep," Derek answered, looking smug.

"But—but," stammered Anthony. "How do you know?"

"Please," snorted Derek. "As an expert in this field, it's not hard to tell. Lily's innocence is as apparent as a Slytherin in the Gryffindor Common Room."

Anthony laughed and gave Derek a pat on the back. "Way to go, man," he said. "What do you have planned for tonight? Are you going to take her?"

"I prefer 'broaden her horizons', but yeah, I plan to."

"And you have the Astronomy Tower booked?"

"Of course."

"All night?"

Derek turned to his friend and smirked again. "All night."

Anthony leaned back lazily and put his hands behind his head. He was quiet for a moment before saying, "How do you know she won't say no?"

"She won't," Derek answered, sounding very certain.

"How do you reckon?" Anthony asked.

"Please," scoffed Derek. "It's never happened before, it definitely won't happen now. Just ask Alison, Trisha, Patty—"

"Okay, okay," Anthony laughed. "I get it." He turned his attention back to the Quidditch practice. "I don't suppose you'd mind if I gave her a go after you, would you?"

Derek shrugged and ruffled his light-brown hair with his hand. "Go ahead," he said carelessly. "I don't really plan seeing her again afterwards, anyway." He squinted up and gazed at the Ravenclaw seeker, who was zooming around in the air in close proximity of the snitch. "Hey, Anthony," he said suddenly, hitting his friend lightly with the back of his hand. "Isn't that Shannon O'Reilly?"

Anthony raised an eyebrow and studied the figure above. "Yeah, I think so."

Derek's mouth curled into a roguish grin. "Is she single?"

Up in the prefect's bathroom, James watch in horror as Lily set various tools on the counter. As each silver instrument sounded with a soft _clink _on the crème-colored tileJames' eyes grew bigger.

Lily furrowed her brow and tapped her finger on her chin. "Let me see," she murmured to herself. "Shaver, tweezers…lip gloss, definitely can't do without that." She finished taking out the rest of the supplies, then turned to James and said, "Alright, before we begin, I need to say a few things."

"Just a few?" James joked.

"We'll see if you have the same sense of humor after what I'm about to put you through. Potter, have you heard the saying, 'beauty knows no pain'?"

James raised an eyebrow. "Um…" he said uncertainly. "Sure."

"What about, 'it pays to be beautiful'?"

James' expression clearly showed that he didn't get the point. "It sounds vaguely familiar, yeah."

Lily nodded and smiled. "Good," she said serenely. "I just want you to know something." James looked at her quizzically. "What?" he said.

Lily continued to smile at him. "It's a load of crap," she said cheerfully. "All of it."

She was satisfied to see James pale considerably. "Really…?" he asked wearily.

"Yep," Lily answered. "But don't worry, Potter. It's nothing that will scar you." Lily paused and added, "Not for life, anyway."

James made a scornful noise and covered his face with his hands. "Great," he said, his voice muffled through his fingers. "Just the way I've always wanted to spend my Friday nights. Getting plucked, painted, and put through pain. Fun times, that sounds like."

"It does, doesn't it?" Lily said happily. She meant it, too. Although she was not glad about the fact that James would be going out with someone she was crazy about, she couldn't help look forward to getting him ready for the date, knowing that it would all be very amusing.

Lily grabbed a stool from nearby and set it next to her. "Okay," she said to James, patting the stool. "Come sit over here."

"Why can't you come over here?" he retorted.

"Because," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "I need you to sit down so I can fix you up."

James instantly sat down on the floor and grinned up at Lily. "I'm sitting now," he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"_On the stool_," Lily said menacingly.

"I'm much more comfortable down here, thanks," James said calmly, popping a pistachio in his mouth.

"Potter!"

"Yes?" he said innocently. "You know, this would all be over with if you just stopped being childish and came over here. You're really making things more difficult than they have to be, Evans."

Lily let out a roar of frustration. "Do you _always_ have to make things difficult for me?"

"Of course not," James replied. "But everyone needs a hobby, you know."

Lily stared at him for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. Then she sighed. "Potter," she said tiredly. "Would you _please _try to cooperate just this one time? I don't like this anymore than you do. Do you think I _like _helping a boy in _my _body get ready for _my _date, with someone who I've liked for months? Not to mention the fact that instead of having a fun time with a nice, funny, good-looking person, I have to go out on the bloody Quidditch Pitch to prepare to make a damn fool of myself tomorrow in front of a thousand people! So it would _extremely _appreciated if you could do me a favor and for once in your life be understanding towards someone other than yourself!"

James blinked. He bit down on his tongue to keep in the sharp remark that had instantly popped up out of pure habit. Although he didn't like being called selfish, he could see easily that Lily really was on edge. He didn't think it was wise to push the limits, and forced himself to get serious.

"Alright, Evans," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll cooperate."

"You will?" Lily asked hopefully.

James heaved a sigh and stood up. "Yeah," he said, reluctantly sitting down on the stool. "That's what you want, isn't it? So, here I am. Make me up like a bloody girl, so we can get this over with."

Lily beamed at him. "Great," she said. She rushed over to the sink, and grabbed the tweezers in her hand. "Okay, we'll start with the eyebrows." Lily walked over to James, studying him intently. She ran a finger lightly over one of the red eyebrows. "Merlin," she murmured, frowning slightly. "I haven't done these in weeks. I'm lucky I can still see the line."

James' eyes were fixated on the shiny, silver tweezers. "What exactly does this involve?" he asked carefully. "Is it painful?" Lily said nothing and avoided his gaze, and it didn't go unnoticed by James. "Okay, that's not good," he said, moving her hand from his face. "You just avoided looking at me, and that means this involves pain."

"Don't be silly," Lily said briskly. "It's not that bad." She tipped James' head back a little bit, making him lean against the counter behind him. "Alright," she told him. "Close your eyes."

"Why?" he asked immediately. "If this is about eyebrows, I shouldn't have to close my eyes!"

"Relax," Lily soothed, patting his shoulder. "It's just easier this way." James leaned back slowly, glowering and keeping a trained eye on Lily the entire time. "Close your eyes," Lily said again, moving closer. "Don't worry; it'll all be over before you know it." James finally closed his eyes, and Lily leaned down and positioned her hand by his eyes. She grinned, and fought down a snort of laughter. _Wonder if he'll be the mighty Potter now, _she thought gleefully.

Lily bit her lip and put tip of the tweezers to his skin. James flinched at the cold touch, but otherwise kept still. "Don't scrunch your face up like that," Lily scolded. "It'll make the eyebrow uneven."

"Oh dear, whatever shall we do," James muttered, eyes still closed. But he did as Lily told and relaxed his face.

Lily took a deep breath and pinched the tweezers closed, grasping onto a bunch of red hair. She silently counted to three, and then yanked them away.

"Ow!" James slapped a hand to his eyebrow and glared at Lily. "Not that bad," he said through gritted teeth, glaring at Lily irritably.

"Well, it wasn't!" Lily said defensively.

"Yes, it was!" James cried, grimacing. Lily snickered, much to James' fury. "IT'S NOT FUNNY, DAMMIT!" he yelled.

"Look," Lily said, a smirk playing on her lips. "You'll just have to deal with it because we have to do this."

James scowled and folded his arms. "Nobody _cares_ about your bloody eyebrows, Evans!"

"_I _care," Lily snapped at him. "Not stop being such a baby and lean back!"

"No!" James said indignantly.

"I said, _lean back,_" Lily said through gritted teeth. Not waiting for James do it himself, she roughly tried to push him back against counter. However, James put up quite a fight. "Potter, would you—sit—_still_! Don't make me put you in a body bind!"

Not wanting to be put in a full body bind, James sat back against the counter with a deep scowl. "Fine," he grumbled. "Just hurry up, okay? I don't know how long this cooperation thing will last."

Slightly out of breath from their struggle, Lily picked up the tweezers from where they had been dropped. "Alright," she said. "Close your eyes again. This won't take long." She grasped a few hairs from above the eye, and pulled.

"Ouch!" James cried. But Lily had kept her free hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving much, and he had no choice but to stay still. Lily wiped the tweezers clean of the hairs and started again. Each time Lily jerked the hairs away, James flinched and cried out in pain.

"Now, really," Lily scolded as she wiped the tweezers clean again. "Don't you think you're being dramatic? Even _I_ didn't complain this much my first time."

James winced and ran a finger over his eyebrow. "Isn't there another way that's less...drawn out?" he asked pleadingly.

Lily pursed her lips and studied him for a moment. "I suppose," she said thoughtfully. "If that's what you really want."

"It is," James said eagerly.

Lily looked doubtful. "Are you _sure_, Potter?"

"Would I have asked otherwise?"

Lily looked at him for a bit longer as she considered the other option. _It would serve him right for being such an ass, anyway, _she thought. "Alright," she said slowly. "If that's what you really want, will do it the other way. The…faster way."

James breathed a sigh of relief as Lily put away the tweezers. "Good," he said. "I guess I can relax now."

"I wouldn't say that yet," Lily muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" James asked.

"Nothing," Lily said quickly.

James looked suspicious, but said nothing about her response. "So, what's the other way?"

Lily grinned, but James didn't see her since her back was facing him. "You'll see," she said in a sing-song voice. She walked back over to him, holding a small bowl, a stick that resembled a coffee stirrer, and a few strips of special paper.

James looked at it all in amazement. "All of _that_ for fixing eyebrows?" he asked incredulously. "Merlin, you are such a _girl_."

"Thank you," Lily said. She set each item on the counter and picked up the stick. "Okay," she told James. "Lean back and close your eyes." James did as he was told, a small smile playing on his lips. _That won't last long_, Lily thought gleefully. She carefully dipped the stick into the wax and spread it on part of the eyebrow.

James' smile grew at the feeling of the heat. "Hm," he said. "That feels nice…kind of calming and warm. I like warm things," he added lightly.

Biting back a giggle, Lily covered the wax with a strip of paper, and pressed it down with her fingers. "Okay, Potter," she said. "Relax, now."

"I'm very much relaxed," James drawled lazily, hands folded across his stomach.

"Do you want something to hold?" Lily asked hesitantly. "Something to…grip, perhaps?"

James' forehead wrinkled slightly and opened his eyes. "Why would I want something to hold onto?" he asked with a snort. "This isn't bloody childbirth, you know." He leaned back again and closed his eyes. "Wax away," he said happily, drumming his fingers on the back of his hand.

"Okay," she said, still sounding doubtful. She took hold of a corner of the paper. "Alright, Potter," she told him. "On the count of three."

"Ready and waiting, Evans," James sighed carelessly.

"One…"

Lily's hold on the corner of the strip tightened between her thumb and forefinger. "…Two…"

_That's women, for you, _James thought with a small smile. _Always blowing things _way _out of proportion…_

"…Three!" Wincing and biting a corner of her bottom lip, Lily ripped the strip of paper away, along with many hairs out of the skin.

A yell resounded through the Prefect's Bathroom that would have made a banshee cover her ears.

Kate threw her book bag on her bed with a heavy sigh and lay down. "Finally," she said. "I thought Friday would _never _get here."

"I know," Parker agreed, sounding equally relieved. She flopped down on the bed on her back. "This week has seemed to drag on forever. I'm not doing _any _homework tonight; I don't care how long it'll take me on Sunday."

Kate glanced at her. "There's always tomorrow," she pointed out.

"I know," replied Parker. "But there's the Quidditch game against Ravenclaw."

Kate furrowed her brows and propped herself up on her elbow, now facing Parker. "That's in the morning, though. You could do it at night," she suggested.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Are you intent on ruining my weekend when it hasn't even started yet?" she asked Kate.

Kate grinned. "Face it, Parker," she told her. "If it weren't for me, you're homework would never get done. You're middle name is 'procrastinator'."

Parker sniffed and pretended to be offended. "Please," she said in a dignified tone. "I prefer 'organizationally challenged,' if you don't mind." Kate stared at her for a moment before dissolving into helpless giggles. Parker joined her, and for the next few moments they just couldn't stop. They finally calmed down, and Parker took a deep breath. "Hey," she said suddenly. "Where's Lily?"

Kate paused and cocked her head, thinking. "I don't know," she said, breathless from laughing so much. "The last time I saw her, she and James were in the hallway together. And that was right before the last class. Before that, it was at lunch, and they were at the table arguing over something or other."

"Hmm," Parker said slowly. "I'm beginning to see a pattern, here."

"What's that?"

Parker bit her lip and ran her thumb over her chin. "Lately, whenever we see Lily," she said slowly. "She's always with James."

Kate looked confused. "When has she _ever_ hung out with James Potter willingly?" she asked skeptically.

"Never," answered Parker. "But for about a week now, they've been almost inseparable. Sure, they've still been snapping at each other. But they've also been sitting together during classes, talking and walking in the hallways…Kate, something's up."

"But…" Kate shook her head. "I'm a bit surprised Lily wouldn't tell us if something was going on with her and James. I mean, remember when Derek asked her out? She wouldn't stop talking about him for _days_, Parker. I can't even count the number of times I heard her say, '_Derek's_ so cute' , '_Derek's_ so smart.' 'Merlin, isn't _Derek_ the nicest guy in the world?'"

Parker laughed and threw a pillow at her friend. "I _know_, Kate," she said. "I was there, too, remember?"

"I'm just saying," Kate said, grinning at her and tucking the pillow under her head. "Lily hasn't been talking to us as much. She hasn't exactly abandoned us, either. But we haven't had any real _girl_ talk, lately."

"Well," said Parker. "We'll figure out what to do about it later. Maybe we'll insist on a girl's night out only. A sleepover or something. She can tell us all about her love life there."

"That sounds good," Kate said. Then she smiled secretively. "Lily's not the only one with a love life, you know."

"Who?" Parker asked, thoroughly baffled.

"Oh, please!" scoffed Kate, rolling her eyes. "Don't think I haven't noticed what's going on between you and Sirius. I'm not blind like he is, you know."

Parker looked at her anxiously. "It's not obvious, is it?"

"Actually, no," Kate said, shaking her head. "I only just figured it out a few days ago. You were pretty good at hiding it. How long have you liked him?"

"I dunno," Parker said, shrugging her shoulders. "About two years, maybe."

"Why haven't you done anything about it, then?" Kate inquired, eyes widening slightly. "He keeps asking you out. Why don't you say yes?"

"Because," Parker snorted. "Sirius is a player. And no matter how good-looking he is, he'll never change. I'm not going to be one of those girls who goes out with him only to be cast aside and forgotten."

Kate sighed. "I guess I see your point," she said. "But there's always a chance, right?"

Parker shrugged and stood up. "I guess so. Hey," she said, changing the subject. "What do you say to a game of Wizard's Chess?"

Kate grinned and stood up as well, heading to the door. "I say, you'd better get a broom and start sweeping up your broken chess men, right now." She laughed and raced out of the dorm, Parker hot on her heels.

_Never again, _James swore silently, as he winced and ran a finger over his newly-groomed eyebrows. _I never even want to _hear _the word 'wax' ever again. _Lily hadn't been lying when she had said it wouldn't be fun getting ready. James realized all of this was _very _different from throwing on a pair of pants and a shirt like he normally did, and, truth be told, he couldn't believe that girls would _want _to go through what he called torture just for a date. _Periods, primping, _James thought with a roll of his eyes. _I certainly took being a boy for granted. _

He sighed and looked over at Lily, who was currently searching through her make-up bag and pulling out make-up. "How hard is it to decide what make-up to put on?" he asked her exasperatedly.

Lily walked over to him and set everything in her hands on top of the counter next to him. "Believe it or not, Potter," she said, going back to her bag. "There's a certain art to make-up. Put on the wrong colors and you'll look like someone straight out of clown camp."

"Whatever," James muttered. He picked up a small container of pink lip gloss. "Raspberry flavored," he read aloud. He looked up at Lily and smiled. "I didn't know make-up came in flavors." James held the container up and smelled it. "That's bloody brilliant!" he exclaimed. "Is that what makes a girl's lips taste so good when I kiss her? Rather convenient, I say."

Lily just rolled her eyes, not even bothering to answer. She pulled out a few more items, and walked over to where she had set the rest of them. She turned just in time to see James making a horrible face with his nose wrinkled and face scrunched up, tongue sticking out. "What is it?" Lily asked him. "What's wrong?" The container of lip gloss was open and James' finger was by his mouth. It was looking oddly shiny. Lily raised an eyebrow and settled her weight on her left leg. "Did you just _eat_ my lip gloss, Potter?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," James choked out. "And it was horrible."

Lily grabbed the lip gloss away from him. After examining it closely to determine how much was left, she twisted the cap on. "Well it's not edible!" she exclaimed. But her eyes twinkling in merriment. "What did you expect? Candy?"

James swallowed a few times to try to rid the repulsive aftertaste from his mouth. "Well, yeah," he said. "By my logic, if something smells good it tastes good. I also thought that since it gave a girl's lips a nice flavor…well, you get the rest." _Merlin, I can't get the flavor out of my mouth! _James grabbed a towel and wiped his tongue on it numerous times. He gave a small shudder and put it back on the rack. "Ugh," he said, putting it back on the rack. "Gross."

Lily eyed the towel with a sickened expression. "Gross indeed," she said under her breath, wrinkling her nose. "Remind me to bring my own towel next time I come here. Okay, now that we've got your eyebrows done…" She grinned and held up a razor and shaving cream. "Next, we do the legs."

James smirked and looked down at the legs that had come with his new body. "Hmm," he said appraisingly. "I've always liked legs. I should have no problem with this."

Lily cast him a doubtful glance. "Have you ever shaved legs before, Potter?" she asked him.

James looked horrified. "Hell, no!" he exclaimed. "Do I _look _like the type of person going around worrying about what my legs look like? Men like me—" Lily snorted. "—do _not_ shave their legs. I would much rather put my effort into something more…worthwhile. Like my face," he added loftily.

"And how your hard work has paid off," Lily commented dryly.

"Why, thank you," James said with smile, ignoring the sarcasm.

Lily set a second stool in front of James. "Here," she said, patting it. "Put your leg up there, and bend it." James obeyed. Lily began to apply the shaving cream to the leg up to about two inches above the knee.

"You know," James said as he watched her. "If another prefect were to walk in here at this exact moment, he might think something _very_ wrong and dirty was going on between you and me. It'd be quite a laugh, really." James paused. "Although," he said, with a cheeky grin. "It is a bit of a shame that I'm not in my own body right about now. I've always wanted to rub my hands over a girl's leg."

Lily gave him a dark look and, after making sure it wasn't the same that James had used a few minutes before, wiped her hand on a towel. "Alright," she said as she uncapped the razor. "Don't move around or anything or you'll end up with a nasty cut." James kept still and observed as Lily carefully dragged the razor from the ankle to right above the knee, and wiped the excess shaving cream off the razor with a tissue.

"This reminds me," he said as Lily repeated the process. "You might want to run a razor over the face in a few days, or you'll end up with an unattractive shadow about the chin."

Lily raised her eyebrows at him as she wiped the razor again. "Like _you_ shave, Potter," she said with a teasing smile.

"Excuse me!" James said, looking highly insulted. "How would you know, Evans?"

Lily snorted and carefully drew the razor around the knee cap. "Please, you aren't man enough to shave."

James pretended to be offended. "That's hurtful, Evans," he said jokingly. "That's down right abusive. How can you question the manliness of James Potter?"

"Well," Lily told him. "It's hardly considered manly when a boy has his period, is it?"

James sighed. "You just _had_ to mention the damn period thing, didn't you?" he said moodily. He stuffed a few chocolate-covered pistachios in his mouth and said while chewing, "Tha' was vewwy une'es'ary, Evan."

Lily smiled and finished shaving the other leg, then cleaned off any cream she had left behind. "Okay," she said with a deep breath. "Done with that." She then pulled out a brush, a comb, and bunch of hair ties from her bag and turned James so that he faced the mirror. "Now," she said, standing behind him and looking at their reflections. "We do the hair."

"Great, this is going to take forever," James muttered, crossing his arms.

"Nah," Lily said, beginning to brush the thick red hair. "I already know what I'm going to do. It's very simple, yet elegant. And it won't be hard to keep from messing up. It's just going to be a ponytail with a few locks of hair hanging down the side of the face. It should only take a few minutes."

"Well, that's a relief," James said, trying to keep his head from moving when Lily tugged it. "It's four-twenty-five now, and all we have to do is the make-up. Then I'll get dressed and be on my merry old way with about two hours to relax before this date from hell." Lily grinned mischievously at James through the mirror. "What?" he asked her.

"Didn't I tell you that you had a lot to learn about being a girl?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So I haven't picked out an outfit for you to wear yet," Lily answered. "And that's always the hardest part. Ergo, that's that bit that always takes the most time. I promise you that there will be _no_ time for you to relax before meeting Derek."

James groaned. "Damn!"

"I know," Lily said, patting him on the shoulder and pretending to be sympathetic. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Then she shrugged and continued to brush what was once her hair. "Then again," she said, dropping the act. "We all have to do things we don't want."

"Evans," James said, scowling deeply. "One thing that I _detest_ hearing is the saying that 'life isn't fair'."

"Well, it isn't, you know."

"Yes, I know," James said, gritting his teeth when he felt a sharp pull on a strand of hair. "This whole bloody situation is the perfect example."

"Too true," Lily said grimly. They were both quiet as Lily finished putting the hair into a neat ponytail and put some of it down so that it rested against the cheek. Even though Lily wished harder than ever that it could be _her_ getting ready for what should have been _her _date, she couldn't help admitting to herself that she was having just a little bit of fun watching James react to the different things he had go through to go on a date. It was something that she would have to remember to put in her Pensieve once she got the chance.

She put the brush, comb, and hair ties back into the bag. "Alright," she sighed. "Time to do make-up."

"Just the thing I've always looked forward to," James said monotonously. "My life finally has a purpose."

"Oh, shut up," Lily snapped at him. "I'm sick of your complaining, Potter. So either you shut your mouth or I stuff it with enough lip-gloss to make the inside glisten like diamonds."

James glowered at her, and muttered, "I _knew_ you were the violent type."

Lily picked up a make-up brush and a compact of light pink blush. "Lean your head back," she commanded.

James looked at her wearily. "You aren't going to make me look like Professor Veronique's twin or something, are you?"

"Of course not," Lily said briskly, tipping James' head back with her finger and swiping the brush over the pink power. "Have you ever seen me with that much on?"

"I've never seen you with any on," James pointed out.

"Actually," Lily said, looking pleased. "That's not quite true. I don't wear make-up every day, but I like to every now and then. I prefer the natural look. After all, the whole point of make-up is to not look like you're wearing it."

"Wait a minute," James said, holding his head up again. "Are you telling me that girls put on make-up to look like they aren't wearing any? Then what's the point of putting it on?"

Lily grinned and shook her head. "Again, you don't have it exactly right," she explained. She forced James' head back again and began to lightly sweep across his cheek until a faint tinge of pink showed up. "Some girls _want_ it to be seen, so they use colors other than their skin tone. Sometimes, it can look alright. But, as you can see at our school, a lot of girls really over do it. So does my sister. But my mother taught me a while back that the best way to apply make-up is so that it accentuates your different colors and features."

To his own surprise, James found that he was listening to this intently rather than just letting go through one ear and out the other. Lily gently turned his face so that she could do the other cheek.

"For instance," she was saying. "If someone has nice cheek bones, they can make them stand out more by putting a small bit of blush right under them." Lily turned James so that he could see his reflection and smiled. "The effect is really quite nice," she said.

_She's right, _James thought as he studied the results in the mirror. _It doesn't look all that bad on her features. No wonder I never knew she was wearing make-up. This looks like it could be…well, natural. _But he'd be damned if he admitted to Lily that, one, she could look pretty; and two, that he found her talk about cosmetics interesting in any way.

"I guess it could be worse," James said nonchalantly. "Are we done yet?"

"Not yet," Lily said, setting down the blush. She picked up a container of eye shadow. "We still have to do the eye shadow, lip-gloss, and mascara."

"Mascara?" James asked curiously. "What's that?"

"It's something that makes the eyelashes stand out."

"Eyelashes," James said blankly. "You really think boys give a damn about _eyelashes? _We're too busy looking at your bodies!"

Lily narrowed her eyes and sneered at him. "That is so _shallow_," she said scathingly.

"This coming from a girl who cares about her eyelashes enough to _paint _them," James retorted.

Lily glared at him for a moment before putting the mascara back into bag. "Fine," she said shortly. "I won't do mascara. But we're sticking with the eye shadow, no argument." Lily applied color to the eyes and lips, much quicker than James knew he could ever pull off.

In fact, this whole experience had been rather enlightening to him. James now knew that whenever he asked a girl out, they took it much more seriously than he had imagined. He appreciated the fact that they thought so highly of him as to spend hours going through something _he_ definitely would never bother doing. _Then again, why wouldn't they? _he thought smugly. _I _am _worth it._ James grinned, imagining Lily how appalled Lily would look if she had heard him say those words aloud.

Just when he was deciding whether or not to do it just to get a reaction, something else caught his attention. Lily was pointing her wand at small items in her hand, making them bigger with an enlargement spell. When they returned to the normal size, James saw that they were actually clothes.

Lots of them.

James' eyes widened as he watched the size of pile of clothes grow. "Er…" he said uncertainly. "You _do_ know that this is only a date, right? It's not like you're packing for holiday."

"Of course I know," Lily murmured, preoccupied with detangling two sleeves that were tied together. "That's why I didn't bring them all."

James sighed and rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

Lily continued to sort through the different items, separating them into three piles of skirts, pants, and tops. When she was finished she picked up a dark blue skirt and a white tank top. "Here," she said to James. "We're going to try this one first." She pointed at James and said, "_Sapora!_"

The school uniform was instantly replaced with the outfit Lily had chosen.

"I like this one," James said instantly. He hadn't even looked at it, and he didn't really care; all he wanted was to pick an outfit as quick as possible so he could relax before it was time to meet Daren.

Or whatever his name was.

But Lily didn't answer right away. Instead, she had her chin in her hand and was scrutinizing the results. "Come here," she said, waving James over. James stood up with a heavy sigh and walked over to her. "Turn around," Lily ordered. James did so with a roll of his eyes. Lily circled him, looking over the outfit carefully. She murmured a quiet, "Hmm," and walked around James again.

When she had done that for the third time, James snapped impatiently, "What are you, a vulture? Do you like this one or not?"

Lily frowned and shook her head. "No," she told him. "No, I don't think so. The skirt looks too big. Makes me look a bit frumpy." She walked over to the piles and picked up a black sweater and a pair of jeans. "Let's try this. _Sapora!_"

In the blink of an eye the blue skirt and white shirt were gone, and in their place James wore the jeans and the sweater.

"This is certainly warmer," he commented.

Lily scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "No, I don't like that, either." Without another word she picked up a black dress with long sleeves. "_Sapora!_" Lily looked at it for a moment before saying, "No, too formal for a first date."

James groaned and closed his eyes as Lily leaned down to pick up something new. It was clear that this was going to take a _very _long time.

James wasn't very happy at all. As he had predicted, Lily had spent a while going through various combinations for him to wear. In fact, it had taken about an hour and fifteen minutes and was now quarter to six. His feet hurt, and they were beginning to lose feeling from standing so long. And the worst part of it was that Lily had taken away his bag of chocolate-covered pistachios twenty minutes ago, insisting that they would "give you bad breath."

James felt highly aggrieved.

"Are we done yet?" he asked dully for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Almost," Lily said absentmindedly. She picked up a red skirt and matching top. "Let's try this one!"

James rolled his eyes. "We did already," he sighed. "Twice."

"Hmm…" Lily said thoughtfully. She held the skirt out at arm length, looking at it carefully. She glanced back at James, looking doubtful. "Are you sure?"

"_Yes_," James said exasperatedly. "I remember because that's the one that itched. Then there was the one that was so tight I couldn't sit down, then there was one that—"

"Okay," Lily interrupted. "Alright, I get it." She set the clothes down and scrutinized the pile, slowly stroking her chin with her thumb. Lily bit down on a corner of her lip before bending down to pick up a black skirt and a tan sweater. "Okay," she said, grinning. "I think this is it. _Sapora!_"

The green pants and white shirt disappeared and the chosen items instantly replaced them. Lily squealed and clapped her hands, jumping up and down. "That's it!" she cried. "Perfect! Go have a look in the mirror, Potter." James sighed and reluctantly stood in front of the mirror, preparing himself to cringe at the reflection for the tenth time. He raised his head to look at the results.

What James saw made him start slightly in surprise.

Actually, the outfit didn't look _that_ bad. The skirt went down to about two or so inches above the knee, which immediately drew attention to the legs in contrast to the pale skin. The sweater wasn't exactly ugly, either. It was long-sleeved, for which James was thankful, and was a bit form-fitting. In fact, it made the body he was in, Lily's, look rather…nice.

James raised his eyebrows in approval and nodded. He turned to the side and studied the combination from the back. Then he faced the mirror again and lifted the corner of his mouth into a smile. "Wow," he said. "I guess this isn't _too_ bad." _Not bad at all, _he added to himself. "I look pretty hot," he added without thinking.

Lily realized what he said before James did and looked up from folding the rest of the clothes. She quirked and eyebrow and stared at him from her position on the floor. "Um…Potter?" she said hesitantly. "You do know that you just complimented _me_, right?"

James tore his gaze from the mirror and looked at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, still not catching on.

Lily picked at a loose thread on one of the garments, silently cursing herself for beginning to blush. "I _mean_, that by saying 'I look pretty hot', you were really talking about how _I _look in that outfit," she said pointedly. "You know, considering our current situation and everything."

James looked a bit confused for a bit longer before his eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped slightly open. "Oh," he said, realization dawning on him. "I get it now."

Lily rolled her eyes and continued to fold and shrink the clothes. "Aren't we smart," she muttered under her breath.

James didn't seem to hear her. _Damn, how could I be so stupid! _he thought in horror, biting down on his tongue. _Of _course _saying how good I looked sounded like a compliment. I look like _herIt was clear that he had some cleaning up to do. "Uh…" he said blankly. "Well…how do you know I…um…wasn't complimenting…myself?" James cringed; even _he_ knew that sounded dumb. Lily looked at him as though he was crazy. James took a breath and regained his usual cool composure. "I mean, really" James said, taking on a drawl. "For all you know, Evans, I was just commenting on good _I_—" He gestured to Lily, signifying that he meant his body "—looked tonight, which I do. So you shouldn't take that 'looking hot' thing personally. Compliments like _that _are extremely rare from me." James exhaled slowly. _Not as smooth as usual,_ he thought. _But good enough._ _Sort of…_

Lily made a derisive noise and shook her head, trying to forget the conversation had ever taken place. "Whatever Potter," she told him. "We don't have time for this. I still have to pick out shoes to go with it and teach you how to walk."

"What do you mean, 'teach me how to walk'?" James said indignantly.

Lily pulled out a pair of tiny black high heels from her pocket and pointer her wand at them to make them bigger. She grinned widely and held them out to James, whose eyes widened in shock when he saw that they were about four inches high.

He looked back at Lily. "You are mistaken if you think I'm going to risk my life for this date by putting _those_ on," he said flatly. "Very much mistaken."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Lily scoffed. "These aren't _that_ high."

"Evans!" James exclaimed. "Those aren't even shoes! They're bloody stilts!"

"Parker has shoes that are six inches high," Lily countered.

"Well good for Parker," James said crossly. "I'm not wearing them. It's bad enough you're making me wear a damn skirt, so don't push your luck with the shoes."

Lily sighed and tossed the shoes to the side. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Which is why I brought these." Lily held up a pair of dark brown shoes with a shiny, thick, gold strip across the part about halfway to the toe. There still was a heel, but it was thicker and lower to the ground.

James cringed. "Don't you have anything more masculine?" he requested. "You know…tennis shoes or something?"

Lily set her mouth in a grim line and dropped her arms to her side. "Potter," she said sternly. "I'll be damned if I let you wear old, dirty tennis shoes on my date with Derek Thomas. You are wearing _these_ shoes. No questions, comments, or complaints."

"But I—!"

"I said no complaints!" Lily snapped. "Now put these on." James hesitated and looked at the shoes unsurely. "Put them on!" she ordered impatiently.

"Fine," James grumbled. He snatched the shoes from Lily and stuffed his feet into them clumsily. He teetered in the shoes and wiggled his toes around, trying to get used to the new height. "Evans," James said uncertainly, as he tried to balance. "I—I don't think I can walk in these." James' eyes widened and he wobbled dangerously, waving his arms around and trying not to fall. Lily rushed forward and caught hold of his arm in a firm grip.

"They're only two inches high…watch it!" Lily ducked to avoid James' flailing arm.

James slowly lowered himself onto to the stool. He bent over to examine the shoes. "These are two inches higher than what I'm used to wearing," he said bitterly. "And they make my toes hurt!"

"Well, tough. It pays to be beautiful," Lily told him as she cleaned up.

"I don't care," James whined. "There aren't enough Galleons in the world to make this worth it! I always thought girls looked great in heels and everything, but I never thought they were so uncomfortable. I'm going to have to take them off." James started to pull the shoes off, but Lily cast him a malicious glare behind her shoulder.

"Potter," she said tersely. "Those shoes go perfectly with that outfit, and they make my legs look good. Therefore, you will keep them on until your feet are swollen, black and blue. Understand?"

"No!" James insisted. "Now that you mention it, I don't at all!"

"Well, that doesn't matter!" Lily answered, her voice getting gradually louder. "Shoes aren't supposed to be understood! They're just _shoes_!"

"But they're supposed to be comfortable!"

"_NOT _IN THE WORLD OF A FEMALE!" Lily shouted. "Do you have any idea how many shoes _wouldn't_ exist if they were only made for the sake of being comfortable? Now hurry up! It's six o'clock now, and I want to make sure you can walk alright in those."

_Excellent, _James thought. _All I have to do is wobble and trip and I won't have to wear them! _"What if I can't?" he asked Lily.

Lily shrugged. "Then you'll get plenty of practice your way to meet Derek."

"Damn," James muttered regretfully.

Lily walked over to a place about ten feet away from James. "Okay," she said. "Let me see you walk." James sighed and stood to his feet heavily. He awkwardly lifted his left foot and put it down, then he did the same with his right. He was slowly beginning to make his way to Lily.

Very slowly.

"Stop, stop!" Lily cried, waving her hands.

James looked up. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"You're doing it all wrong," Lily chastised. "You can't move your feet like they're made of solid blocks of wood! Move gracefully with a little movement. Like this." Lily turned on her heel and demonstrated walking with her head held high, adding a little swing to her hips. James' eyes widened in horror at the sight of what appeared to be _him _walking like that. It was worse than her standing with her hands on her hips, and definitely the antithesis of manly.

Lily turned around and faced James, still demonstrating the graceful and lady-like walk.

James closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously, hands over his eyes. "Stop!" he shouted. "I can't handle seeing _myself_ walk like…_that! _I'll walk whatever way you want, just spare my eyesight and never do it again!"

Lily smirked and sat down on the stool. "Okay," she said in a satisfied tone. "Let's see your walk, Potter."

It had taken nearly forty-five minutes, but James Potter was now an expert on walking the way Lily had taught him. _I'm ashamed to say,_ he thought, completely humiliated. With the combination of having a period, going on a date with a person of the same gender, _and_ walking in a way that James personally had always found alluring with a girl, it was safe to say that he would not forget this experience as quickly as he had hoped.

He was watching Lily dully now, who was rushing around and making quick fixes to this strand of hair or that smudge of lipstick, and muttering incoherently under her breath. James smirked and wondered if Lily Evans, who to him had always seemed confident, always acted this frazzled before something that was just a harmless date.

However, even though he was careful not to show his anxiety, James was beginning to feel a bit nervous himself. Up until now, he had handled wearing a skirt, having a period, wearing make-up, shaving his legs, and waxing his eyebrows (James winced at the memory). He had even been able to sit through being kissed on the cheek by the clueless Ravenclaw. But that was where James drew the line, and he down-right refused to let it go _any_ further than that. In his opinion he had been far more than well-behaved than necessary, and _nothing _Lily could do would pay him back for it.

James groaned and kneaded his knuckles into his back. _Bloody period_, he cursed silently, then nearly laughed out loud at the pun. He was getting tired of switching emotions so suddenly. And that wasn't even the worst part.

He missed his chocolate-covered pistachios.

"Okay," Lily said, glancing at her watch. "It's now about quarter to. Where were you supposed to meet Derek?"

James shrugged and held on tightly to the banister as he climbed the stairs. "I dunno," he said carelessly. "I think he said he would pick me up in front of the Gryffindor portrait."

Lily inhaled deeply and tried to calm her nerves. "Great," she said.

James bit his lip thoughtfully. "Or maybe he said in the front of the Great Hall."

Lily stopped abruptly and looked at him. "You mean you can't remember?" she asked desperately.

"Who cares?"

"I do!" Lily cried. "It makes a difference, you know! The Gryffindor Common Room and the Great Hall are about seven floors apart! I don't want you to be late, so you had better remember in the next ten minutes."

"Alright, alright," James sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm pretty sure it was in front of the Portrait."

"You're sure?" Lily said anxiously.

"Didn't I _just_ say that, Evans?"

They rounded the corner and paused before Agatha the Portrait. "Okay, Potter," Lily said seriously. "I know that this probably isn't the way you would want to spend your Friday night—"

"_Probably,_" James interrupted contemptuously.

"—But I would really appreciate it if you don't make a complete disaster out of this." Lily continued, wringing her hands nervously. "If all goes well tonight, I'm sort of hoping I might be able to go out again with Derek once I get back to my body. So if you're just really nice and polite, everything should be fine."

"What if he tries to kiss me?" James asked, giving her a side glance.

Lily winced and looked at James, forcing an innocent smile on her face. "I don't suppose you would consider kissing him back, eh Potter?" she asked in a tiny voice.

James narrowed his eyes at her. "Not for a second," he said menacingly.

Lily groaned and dropped the act. "Alright," she said. "I guess it's already a miracle that you're going, right?"

"Right," James said firmly. "So don't push it."

"Okay," Lily agreed. She turned to the portrait and said, "Lion's Den." Agatha swung open without a word and continued spinning.

"I swear, Evans," James said as he climbed in. "As soon as we switch back, I never want you to ask me another favor again. Understand?"

"Fine," Lily huffed, following him inside. "I won't ever ask you a favor again if you never ask me one again."

"When did _I _ask you to do a thing, Evans?" James shot back.

"What do you call what I'm doing tomorrow, Potter?" Lily snapped. "Do you think I _want_ to get on a broom in front of a thousand people?"

"You should be thankful that I'm giving you this opportunity, Evans. It's an honor to play Quidditch as James Potter."

Lily rolled her eyes. "An _honor_," she said mockingly. "Please…" Agatha swung closed, effectively cutting off their loud banter.

During their bickering, neither Lily nor James noticed a grey tabby cat streak out of the shadows about fifteen feet away from Agatha the portrait. Her yellow eyes gleamed through the dark corridor as she took off quickly for the office on the fourth floor. This feline had a stern look about her that had become a bit of a trademark of a certain professor…

James shifted his weight uneasily to his left leg. It was about seven-o-five, and he was waiting for Derek outside the portrait, just like they had agreed. Lily had been giving him some last minute instructions, such as cross your legs when you sit, smile, and don't talk with your mouth full. She also had made James agree that he would at least let Derek hold his hand if he tried to.

James shuddered. _I'll just make sure he doesn't try, then, _he thought. "Why am I even here?" James asked himself aloud. The only answer he got was his echoing voice through the corridor. _It's not like Evans would _know _if I skipped it, right? _he reasoned silently. _Not until Monday, that is_.

Just as James was seriously considering sneaking back into the Common Room, he heard the hollow tapping of shoes coming down the hall. He turned abruptly and saw Derek rounding the corner with the side of his mouth quirked up in a charming grin. James noticed that he was wearing navy blue dress robes for the occasion.

"Hey, Lily," Derek greeted, stopping in front of James and beaming. He gestured to the outfit. "You look great!"

James crossed his arms and smirked. "I do, don't I?" he said smugly. He figured if he acted less than polite, maybe the date would end short.

"Definitely," Derek agreed, looking down at his (Lily's) legs. James found it very unnerving when he didn't look up any time soon. _Pitiful, _James thought, rolling his eyes. _The boy doesn't even know how to be subtle. He could learn a thing or two from me._

He cleared his throat impatiently and bent down so he could meet Derek's eyes. "Excuse me," he said, smiling sardonically. "Last time I checked, my face was up here."

Derek jerked his head up, and a look of innocence replaced desire. "Sorry," he laughed easily. "Hey, why don't we head on our way? I've got a surprise for you that I think you'll like. I hope you're hungry." He held his hand out and looked at James expectantly.

James looked at it, and then back at Derek before shaking it and letting go. _It's not going to be that easy, _he thought grimly.

Derek looked at him in surprise before bursting out in laughter. "That was great, Lily," he said, although his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "You really crack me up."

"So you've said," James said dryly.

Derek grinned and took his hand. "Okay, let's go," he said. He tugged James along, keeping a firm grip on his hand. "So," Derek began conversationally. "How was your day, Lily?"

"Well, I _was_ having a good one," James said, looking pointedly at Derek and trying to loosen his grip.

Derek didn't pick up on the emphasis on the past tense. "That's great," he said cheerfully. "Yeah, I had a pretty good day, too. But I had a Charms test. That was brutal."

It went on as they made their way up the stairs, Derek talking fluently and James giving dull, one-worded inputs. Much to James' discomfort, Derek kept trying to put his arm around his shoulders. Luckily James managed to evade it by feigning and yawn and stretching his arms widely so many times that Derek eventually asked James if he had taken a sleeping-draught.

James paid close attention to where Derek was leading him. They were heading up, so they weren't going outside. They weren't going to the Great Hall. So that left only one possibility for a date, and James was praying that there was some other location he didn't know about.

His fears were confirmed when Derek finally stopped before large door which lead into the Astronomy Tower, a well-known place for teen couples to go. James knew very well what went on there, since he wasn't exactly a stranger to the room.

"Oh, crap," James said in a hushed whisper, staring at the door.

Derek looked at James excitedly. "I know," he said proudly, mistaking James' horrified look for awe. "It's hard to book the Astronomy Tower for a Friday night, but you deserve the best, Lily." He stepped forward and opened the door. James' breath caught in his throat as Derek proceeded to grab his wrist and lead him inside.

What James saw beyond doorway put him on his guard before he even crossed the threshold.

**A/n: wince I'm guessing everyone wants to strangle me now for leaving a cliffy. **

**Also, ONE MORE IMPORTANT THING: I've had a lot of questions concerning when Lily and James would start liking each other, and when they were going to kiss for the first time. As of now, they don't like each other like that. While they are in each other's bodies, they are developing a friendship, which I think is really important to do first. The romance isn't going to kick in until after they switch back. Don't get me wrong, this isn't going to be one of those stories that drags on and on forever. They're not going to be stuck in each other's bodies for eternity, and I know where they're going to switch back, and I _sorta_ know when. It should be something like the nineteenth or twentieth chapter or somewhere around there. However, I am always brainstorming about what's going to happen, so I'm sure I'll have an idea eventually. Feel free to drop one of your own, as long as you don't mind the possibility of it being used or not being used. **

**Thanks to everyone for waiting and understanding. Hope you liked chapter eleven!**

**Until next time, **

**Spirit**


	12. Friday Night Disaster

**A/N: Oh my God! I am so sorry for the wait, you guys. I know you've heard the whole "I've been busy", but it's true! Homework, tennis, and school take up the majority of my time. That's all I'm going to say about that, but I would appreciate it if you would take the time to look at my bio, because you will see a full explanation. Plus, there is a VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE at the end of the chapter. **

**Since time is limited, I didn't put responses to reviews for this chapter, but I appreciate ALL OF THEM! **

**DEDICATIONS:**

This chapter is dedicated to **EVERYONE**! But especially to:

**Rinoa J and Indiangurl and Company: **(you HAVE to tell me what happened with the waxing! Oh, and tell your friends that I will definitely work a "girl's night" into the story if I can. Love the idea!)

**AND NOW, ONTO THE STORY! (BTW: Ignore any errors you see. I sort of did a lackadaisical job doing it. I think I'll go back and do it right, but I wanted to get this out now. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Twelve: Friday Night Disaster**

James swallowed audibly and let his eyes roam over the scene that lay before him. He was suddenly beginning to wish he had cancelled like Lily advised.

Derek really had gone through great lengths to make this date romantic. Even though it was the number one place for couples to go, the Astronomy Tower wasn't always the most comfortable place in the world. It was silent and peaceful, but because of the large windows that revealed the stars outside, there was a constant draft which made the place a bit chilly. Plus, the place was usually dim except for the four torches in the corners.

However, all of that had been replaced. A beautiful burgundy carpet now covered most of the stone floor, along with many comfortable-looking pillows. A number of candles, all different shades of red, were floating through the air, which lit the Astronomy Tower and warmed it up quite nicely. The usual wooden chairs were gone and instead there was a white couch against the wall and it was obviously only made for two. Draped over the back was a large, dark blue velvet blanket.

That wasn't all, either. James wearily looked over to the middle of the room. There was a small table with two comfortable looking chairs on either side. Set on the crème-colored tablecloth were two plates, and on each was a well-done steak, a side of mashed-potatoes and wild-rice. Beside the plates were goblets of red-wine. Truthfully, it all looked very delicious. Derek had transformed the Astronomy Tower into a cozy, amorous love-den.

And for that, James was worried. Very worried. "I am in big trouble," he muttered under his breath. He realized that Derek had let go of his hand and turned just in time to see him close the door and lock it. "I am in _really_ big trouble," James added. Not having heard him, Derek turned around and smiled at James.

"So, Lily," he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "What do you think?" James stared at Derek blankly with his mouth slightly open. When he didn't answer, Derek furrowed his eyebrows questioningly. "Lily?" He took a step forward and James automatically took a step back. Derek looked confused for a moment before laughing and reaching out to take James' hand. "I know," he chuckled. James tensed as Derek led him over to the table. "You're surprised, right? I knew you'd like it, but I didn't know you'd be speechless." Derek pulled the chair out. "I hope you're hungry, Lily," he added as James sat down stiffly. Derek sat in the chair opposite of him and put his napkin in his lap before cutting up his steak. "Mm," he said, taking a bite. "It's really good."

James felt something brush his calf under the table and grew rigid. _Is that his foot? _he thought in horror. _Can't he at least wait an hour? _James moved his leg away and firmly hooked his feet around the leg of the chair.

"Lily?" Derek prompted. He speared a piece of meat onto his fork and held it up to James' mouth. "Aren't you going to eat?"

James looked at Derek with great distain. "I'm a vegetarian," he lied in a frosty tone.

Derek frowned slightly. "Oh," he said, lowering his fork. "Sorry about that, I didn't know. You like rice and potatoes, though, right?" James shrugged and reluctantly picked up his fork; he didn't want to grow too comfortable in case he had to fight off Derek, but he still had to eat. The corner of Derek's mouth lifted up in a grin. He picked up James' glass and held it out to him.

"Here," he told him. "Thirsty?"

James chewed slowly, raised an eyebrow and said stonily, "I don't drink alcohol."

If Derek was disappointed, he didn't show it. All he did was smile and put the glass down. Then, he pulled out a pitcher of ice-water from behind his chair and poured it into another glass. It took a lot of self-control for James to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Derek offered it to him. So far, his plan of making Derek want to end the date early wasn't working. James took the glass with an apprehensive sigh, and carefully examined it before taking a sip.

"So," Derek continued. "Who do you think will win the match tomorrow? Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?"

"Gryffindor, no doubt," James said immediately.

Derek laughed softly and took a sip from his drink. "Really?"

"Of course," James said, resting an elbow on the table. He looked at Derek pointedly. "Ravenclaw doesn't even have a chance."

"I don't know," Derek said, shaking his head. "I don't think you're team is ready."

"Our team has been winning every match this year."

"So far," Derek added, pointing at James with his fork. "Every good thing comes to an end eventually."

"And it will end with my house winning the Quidditch cup," James said coolly.

"Well," Derek said, smirking at him. "I admire determination." A moment later, James felt a hand rub against the place right above his knee. Without missing a beat he jerked his leg up, and with a sharp _bang! _Derek's hand was crushed between the bottom of the table and James' leg. With a cry of pain, he yanked his hand out from under the table and cradled it gently.

James grinned and took a sip of his water. "Sorry," he said calmly. "Muscle spasm in my leg."

"Checkmate!"

Kate groaned and thumped her head on the table. "Unbelievable," she said in a muffled voice.

"Believe it!" Parker said cheerfully. She bent down to pick up the broken pieces of the chessmen that had fallen on the floor. "That's three in a row, Kate," she laughed, setting them back on the chessboard. "That means you _lost _three in a row. Give it up."

Kate scowled and picked up one of the chess pieces, ignoring its indignant squealing. "How did you do that?" she demanded to Parker. "Did you fix these or something?"

"No," Parker countered. "It's a little thing called skill. Something _you _don't have when it comes to this game."

"Give me a break," said Kate, moodily watching the pieces walk back to their places. "I only learned last year. You've been playing for, what, the past three?"

"Six," corrected Parker.

"Same thing," Kate grumbled.

"Oh, come on, lighten up, Kate! You'll get better," Parker assured her with a smile.

"D'you think I'll be able to beat you?"

"I didn't say that."

Kate rolled her eyes and laughed. "Fine," she relented. "One more game." She began to pick up the remaining chessmen from the side and put them on the board.

"What's the point?" teased Parker, nudging a black bishop to move faster. "You won't be able to beat me anyway. Nobody can."

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, an amused voice said, "Care to test that theory?" Parker and Kate looked up, and saw Sirius grinning down at them with his arms crossed. Remus stood next to him, casually resting an elbow on Sirius's shoulder. "Good afternoon, ladies," Remus greeted.

"Nothing good about it, now," muttered Parker. "Don't you have Quidditch practice, Sirius?"

"Nope," he answered cheerfully. "I've got the night off."

"Why?" Kate asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Don't you have to prepare for the match tomorrow?"

"Brian gave each Quidditch player one free night off for Christmas," Remus explained. "They can each choose a practice to skip, and they don't have to justify it. Sirius hasn't taken his, yet."

"So why are you taking it now?" Parker asked irritably.

"Because," he said simply. "Brian's been training us really hard for the match tomorrow, and I decided that I'm ready enough to take a break. Oh, don't act so upset, Parker," he teased with a grin when he saw Parker scowl. "You know you're happy to see me. Everyone's happy to see me. Hell, If I wasn't myself, _I _would be happy to see me."

Remus elbowed him sharply in the ribs and gave him a look. "And you wonder why she can't stand you," he told him.

Sirius just waved his hand carelessly and crouched down so he could look at Parker at eye-level. "So?" he asked. "What do you say, Parker?"

"About what?"

"How about a harmless little game of chess between you and me?"

Parker sighed and continued to set of the board. "Perhaps you weren't listening, Sirius," she said dryly. "I can't be beaten. Just ask Kate, here."

"I don't know, Parker," Remus said. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Kate. "You might be surprised. Sirius is pretty good himself."

"I've got six years of experience in this game," Parker told him smugly.

"So?" Sirius said with a shrug. "I've got eight."

Parker hesitated for a moment before saying crossly, "That doesn't mean anything."

Sirius quirked his mouth into a smirk and he rested his chin on folded arms. "Really?" he said lightly. "Do you want to see if that's true?"

"I don't have to," Parker told him shortly. "I already know it is."

"Okay, then you shouldn't be worried if I challenge you to a game right now, should you?"

"No thank you, Sirius," Parker said primly.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I don't want to!"

"So," Remus said to Kate conversationally as they watched Parker get more and more irritated with Sirius. "Any bets on how this is going to end?"

"Who knows?" she said, drumming her fingers on the table. "Let's just enjoy the show."

"I think you're scared," Sirius was saying, eyes glinting mischievously.

"No I'm not!" Parker exclaimed.

"Then why won't you play?"

"_Because_ _I_ _don't want to!_"

"Fine," Sirius said. "How about we make a little wager?"

Parker studied him intently before saying, "I'm listening."

"If I win," Sirius continued. "You have to go out on a date with me. But if I don't," he hurried on as Parker glared angrily. "I'll never ask you out again for the rest of our education at Hogwarts."

Remus' eyebrows shot up and exchanged surprised glances with Kate. "Wow," he said quietly. I never knew he was _that _desperate for a date with her." Mouth open a bit in shock, Kate just nodded silently. Parker bit down on her bottom lip as she considered Sirius' suggestion. Then she stole a quick look at Kate before saying, "I don't know. I already promised Kate a game."

"So what?" Kate said, finding her voice again. "I'd _like _to see you get your sorry arse kicked." Parker glowered at Kate in a way that clearly let her know that that wasn't what she was supposed to say. Kate just smiled sweetly.

"Yeah," Remus piped up. "Come on, Parker. It's not that bad. One date is not the end of the century."

"Are you saying that you expect me to _lose, _Remus?" Parker asked dangerously.

"No," Remus said quickly and shaking his head. "Not at all. I just mean that _if _you do, then it won't be that bad to deal with. You should count yourself lucky, really. There are worse things you might have to do if you lose to Sirius, Parker."

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

Sirius stifled a laugh and Remus shifted in his seat uneasily. "Let's not go there," he said, averting his gaze. "All you need to know is that any crazy thing that you can think of, James and I have probably done them all when we've lost to Sirius in the past."

Parker furrowed her eyebrows and looked around to her friends wearily; she was obviously on her own in this. "Alright," she relented. "Fine. But," she added, holding up a finger. "_When _you lose, Sirius, I expect you to hold up your end of the deal. No flirting, no kissing, nothing like that."

"Deal," Sirius said simply. Kate moved to grab another chair and Sirius sat in hers, rubbing his hands together and smiled wickedly. "Let's play some chess." He spun the board around so that the white pieces were on Parker's side. "Ladies first," he said gesturing to her politely.

Parker just gave him a withering look before looking at the board and contemplating the opening move. _I really hope I know what I'm doing_. "Knight to E-6." She watched her knight slide to the space.

"Bishop to A-3," Sirius said in clear voice. When the piece had moved, Sirius looked up at Parker, grinned, and quirked an eyebrow.

Parker pressed her lips together to hide a grin as she took her turn. _Well, _she thought. _At least if I lose, the consequences won't be _so _bad…_

"ALBUS, ARE YOU _MAD!_" Professor McGonagall raged.

After overhearing the conversation between Lily and James in her Animagus form, she had hurried down to Dumbledore's office to tell him about this horrible accident that occurred between the two rivals. Professor McGonagall was shocked when Professor Dumbledore just chuckled softly, and proceeded to tell her everything that had happened with Peeves a few nights before. Professor McGonagall now nervously paced to and fro as Dumbledore calmly watched her from his desk, eating a chocolate frog every now and then.

"What were you thinking, telling Peeves a spell like that?" McGonagall continued. "You know how much trouble he causes! Albus, that's like—like showing a dragon how to burn a village!"

Professor Dumbledore just folded his long fingers together. "It was thirty years ago when I told him," he answered plainly. "I didn't think he'd remember."

"But—but—!" McGonagall stammered. She took a deep breath and impatiently straightened her spectacles, which had slid down to the end of her nose. "But you could have _stopped _it, couldn't you?"

"Actually, Minerva, you are wrong. I didn't know the switch had taken place until Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans showed up at my office on Monday morning. And no," Dumbledore added as McGonagall opened her mouth again. "I have no control over when they change back. To tell you the truth, I think it was an absolutely marvelous idea. Its times like these that make me want to keep our dear poltergeist around." Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand and a tray of tea cups, a pot and plate of biscuits appeared. "Tea?" he offered merrily.

"_Dear poltergeist_," McGonagall muttered angrily under her breath as she sat down finally. She poured herself a cup of steaming tea, making sure to fill it to the top. "Albus, there is a reason why his name is Peeves, and it certainly isn't because he is _dear_. I suppose all of this explains the racket in my classroom caused by Evans all of a sudden. But surprisingly, I'm much happier to have an explanation as to why Potter seemed so well-behaved." She took a deep sip from her cup.

"A very good plan," murmured Dumbledore thoughtfully, gazing into the fire. "Brilliant, really."

"Brilliant?" McGonagall repeated incredulously. "It's a disaster!"

"Maybe not," Professor Dumbledore said lightly, serving himself a cup of tea. "It all depends on how you look at it, don't you think, Minerva?"

"And when I look at it all I see is Potter and Evans in my class bickering enough to hold up the lesson."

"True," agreed Dumbledore. "That's very true. But what about when they _aren't _in your classroom? I myself have seen them in the corridors sharing a joke or two. I think a slow change is taking place."

"A _very _slow change," added Professor McGonagall as she buttered a biscuit.

A small, mysterious smile graced Dumbledore's face. "Maybe," he said softly. "But it is a change all the same."

James glanced at his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time in a minute. So far, only about half and hour had passed and he and Derek had only just finished dinner. After James suffered his sudden "muscle spasm," Derek assured him that his hand was okay (despite the slight tremor it now held), but he also was sure to keep his distance for the time being.

Derek quickly waved his wand and the table was wiped clean except for the water and wine. James made no movement to stand up, but sulkily sat back in the chair with his arms crossed. He looked out the window; it was a beautiful, clear night, perfect for Quidditch practice. He pictured Lily and the other Quidditch players flying around with the wind whipping their faces. _What I wouldn't give to be out there right now, _James thought grimly. He turned his attention back to Derek, who was strolling towards him with a smile on his face.

"So, Lily," he said brightly, brushing his hair back with his hand. "Beautiful night, huh?" James could just barely keep himself from rolling his eyes and instead regarded Derek with an uninterested expression. _He's talking about the weather, _he thought scornfully. _That'll keep a girl's interest. _"I mean, it's perfectly clear," Derek rambled on when James didn't answer. "You can see almost all of the stars. Do you like star-gazing?" James just raised his eyebrows. "You know, looking for constellations and stuff?" Derek supplied.

"I _know_ what it means," James said irritably.

"Right…" Derek said slowly. He glimpsed down at his shoes briefly before turning back to James. "Um…I was just thinking since it was such a nice night, we could look for the constellations and see how many we could spot. You up for it?"

James shrugged. "Sure," he said dully. He stood up and turned his chair towards the window before sitting back down. He looked over at Derek, who was staring at him blankly.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked.

"I'm facing the window so I can see the stars better," James replied.

Derek continued to look stunned for a moment before laughing quietly. "Oh," he chuckled. "Well, you _could _do that, but don't you think it would be a bit more…_comfortable_ on the couch?"

_I knew it! _James' mind screamed. Aloud he said calmly, "I perfectly comfortable here, thanks for caring."

Derek hesitated before saying, "But that's why I brought the couch up here. It's really soft, Lily. I'm sure it's much warmer."

"Did I say I was cold?"

"No," Derek said, shaking his head. "I just think it might get a bit cold later on." James detected a hint of impatience in his voice. "And I don't want you to get sick."

"Well, I'll tell you if I feel a cough coming," James said, his tone final.

Derek exhaled heavily before nodding in defeat. "Alright," he said. He grabbed the other chair. "I'll just…sit here with you, then." James watched suspiciously as Derek set the chair down so close to him that it seemed as though the chairs were attached. Derek sighed and leaned back, sneaking a quick look at James. James crossed his arms stiffly and stared outside, but kept a weary eye on Derek, watching for anything sudden. For a few moments no one spoke, and the only sounds were that of James' foot tapping lightly on the stone floor, as well as Derek's occasional noisy exhale. _I swear if he sighs one more time, I'll strangle the breath out of him, _James thought petulantly.

"So," Derek finally said, rubbing his hands together. "What's your favorite constellation?"

"Orion," James answered immediately.

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because," he explained. "It's symbol that reminds me of strength. I don't know the whole story behind it, but I do know that Orion is like a hunter or warrior or something like that. I almost consider him somewhat of a protector of the skies, with his armor and everything." James' voice had taken on a wistful quality, and his attention was completely on the stars above. He didn't notice Derek take advantage of the distraction and slip his arm around the back of his chair.

"I know what you mean," he said casually. "I've always liked stars. They just seem so…there."

James snorted. "As opposed to _not?_" he asked sardonically, eyes still on the sky.

"Well, no," Derek said, looking at him. "I mean, it's like they're so near and close that you want to just…reach out and…" Derek let his hand rest gently on the back of James' shoulder rubbed his thumb over it. "…Touch them…"

"And you know what's funny about that?" James said, shaking off Derek's hand and plastering a fake smile on his face. "You can't! Stars are so far away that you just can't touch them, no matter how much you want to. In other words, they are _untouchable_." He spoke that last word loudly and clearly, looking pointedly at Derek. "And if one were to touch a certain star, he would get _severely injured._"

Derek just frowned, nonplussed by James' analogies. "Um…okay." He turned his head towards the window again, a slight look of frustration etched in his features. James kept an eye on him out of the corner of his eye and reached for his glass water. "Hey, look," Derek said suddenly, sitting up. "There's Sirius."

"Where?" James exclaimed, turning towards the door. If Sirius showed up, James vowed to kiss him purely out of happiness.

"Right there." Derek pointed out the window. "A bit to the left." James realized that Derek was talking about the constellation and slumped down in his seat disappointedly.

"Oh," he said glumly.

"And there's Capricornus," Derek said. "And Gemini, Leo, and Pisces." He turned around to face James and asked, "Hey Lily, what's your sign?"

"Libra," James grunted tonelessly.

"Is that so?" Derek asked, smiling at him. "You know, I studied a little bit about zodiacs and their meanings."

"No kidding," James answered monotonously.

Derek's smile widened. "Yeah, and the descriptions are really accurate, too. In fact, one of the traits of a Libra is supposed to be…" His voice dropped to a whisper, and he stared at James intently as he began to lean in. "…Passionate and flirtatious…"

_Dammit! _James thought frantically as he saw Derek close his eyes. _Need a plan, need a plan…_ He quickly pointed out the window. "OH LOOK!" he said loudly. "Is that a shooting star?" The big movement of his arm and sudden volume in his voice made Derek jump slightly, breaking his concentration.

"Where?" he asked, somewhat edgily.

"Right there!" James pointed to the right, and when Derek looked he took advantage of the moment to scoot his chair away a few feet. When Derek turned his head back to him, James stopped moving and smiled innocently.

"I didn't see anything," Derek said, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Oh well," James said, waving his hand. "You must've missed it."

Derek just shrugged carelessly before saying, "What are you doing all the way over there?"

"Hmm?" James asked, stalling for time.

Derek gestured down at the two and a half feet between them. "You moved away. Something wrong?"

"I..uh…" James stammered lamely. "I thought I saw a…a mouse."

"Oh," Derek said, smiling once more and bringing his chair closer. "Well, there's nothing there now. It's just you…" He leaned in again and dropped his voice lower, closing his eyes as he neared James. "…and me...ARGH!" Derek gasped violently and flew back as he felt ice cold water run down his front.

"Oh, Merlin," James said apologetically, holding an empty glass. "I am really very sorry, Damon." _That I didn't do that before,_ he added silently, holding back a laugh. "It just…slipped."

"No, no," Derek insisted, shaking his head. He gave James a reassuring smile. "It's alright, really."

"It must have been extremely cold," James continued, tossing the glass from hand to hand. "And look," he sighed dramatically, "you're nice robes are all wet and ruined. What a pity."

"Don't worry, Lily," Derek chuckled. "That's why we have wands." He reached for his wand in his back pocket and quickly performed a drying spell. His back was turned to James, so he didn't see his date slouch into his chair grimace deeply in disappointment.

Lily groaned as she put a hand to her lower back and stretched; after sitting on the broom for a little over an hour, she had long since gotten stiff from sitting up straight. Although she was already sore and occasionally got dizzy spells from the height, Lily refused to let Brian see this after their last confrontation. She still wasn't the fastest one in the air (nowhere near it). However, Lily had to admit that she had at least improved in her flying compared to how she had done a few days before. Lily stretched her neck one last time before turning her attention to Brian, who was shouting out directions on what to do next.

"Okay, team!" he yelled. "That was good timing! Nice, quick passes. Now, we have about forty-five minutes left of practice and I want to run through four more plays, at the very least. First, let's do a Double-Wingdinger Combo with a—crap!" Brian groaned and put his hand to his forehead, scowling in frustration. "We can't do that one, can we? Sirius is the beater and we need both of them to pull it off…um…Alright, why don't we do the Harlington Formation…_dammit! _We can't do that one either! I should have just gotten you all socks for Christmas, but no, I had to be a _generous_ captain" he muttered bitterly. Brian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "Okay," he sighed. "I suppose we'll just have to…I don't know, I'll play his position. Black will know what to do when I tell him tomorrow." Brian blew his whistle twice. "Alright, let's go, let's go! I want you to do the Double-Wingdinger Combo!"

Lily looked around and uncertainly watched the rest of the team fly to their positions. _What the hell is that? _She flew steadily over to Clark and cleared her throat. "Hey," Lily said carefully, clearing her throat. "What's a—um—a double wingdingy-whatsit?"

Clark blinked bewilderedly. "You mean a Wingdinger Combo?" he said slowly.

"Right," Lily said quickly. "That's what I said."

Clark looked at her strangely before replying, "James, you should know. You're the one who taught it to us."

"Well, there you are!" Lily said, thinking on her feet. She laughed nervously. "Just quizzing you. I'm glad you know you're Quidditch moves, Cary."

"Clark," he corrected.

Lily hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Gotcha again!" she finally said cheerfully. "You are really good at this." Clark just stared at her looking surprised and confused. He opened her mouth to say something, but Brian interrupted and shouted, "POTTER! GET IN YOUR POSITION!"

"Coming!" Lily yelled back. She turned the broom around and prepared to fly away, but then turned around again. "Hey…Clark?" she said, trying to sound casual. "You wouldn't….happen to know where my position is, would you?"

Clark jerked his thumb over to the right. "It's over there," he said shortly.

Lily flew a back a little and over to the left. "Over here?" she asked.

"No," Clark told her, shaking his head. He gestured to her other side. "Over _there_…no…to the right…no, I mean—not _my_ right, James, yours. Alright, stop."

"Thanks," Lily muttered, keeping her eyes down out of embarrassment.

Clark studied her for a moment before saying, "James, what's the matter with you? Are you feeling alright?"

Lily winced and tipped her head sideways. "Well…" she began delicately.

"_POTTER!_"

Lily jumped at the sound of Brian's snappy tone. "I'd love to explain but I don't want to keep Brian waiting," she said hurriedly to Clark, before whipping her head around to where Brian was hovering impatiently. She inhaled the crisp night air deeply and watched as Brain prepared to throw the Quaffle. _I have no clue what to do in a double-whammy-webding, _she thought grimly. _But it looks like I'll just have to have to be creative. _

"Hurry up and make your move, Parker," Kate said impatiently.

"Give me a minute, I'm thinking!" she snapped back.

"You've been thinking for the past three minutes," said Peter.

Parker just sent him a glare and continued to study the chess board. Playing against Sirius had turned out to be much more difficult than she had expected. With Kate, and most other people she had played against, she could manage to beat them using only half of her concentration. Usually, the game was over with twenty minutes. But now, it was almost half an hour into the game and she and Sirius were nowhere near finishing it.

However, Remus had not been lying when he said that Sirius was skilled in the game. He was definitely making Parker keep her wits about her. Their skills were matched almost equally, and it was still too early to tell who had the best chance of winning. Sirius would occasionally look up at her with a sly grin and make a joke or two. But otherwise, he seemed extremely focused on the game. In fact, it surprised Parker how sharp Sirius could be.

Parker took a deep breath and said, "Pawn to C-8." They all watched as the piece slowly slid into place.

"Finally," Sirius sighed. "Bishop to D-3."

Parker looked on in horror as his Bishop moved. "Th-that's all?" she stammered in disbelief. "You don't want to…_think _about it a little longer?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nah," he said simply. "I've had that move planned out for ages. Your turn." Sirius smirked as Parker slumped back in her chair, looking over the board with a defeated look on her face. "Of course," he said lightly. "You could always forfeit, you know. It would save a whole bunch of time that you could use to get ready for our date."

Parker grimaced at him and sat up straight. "I think I'll pass," she said bitterly, and fell silent to contemplate her next move.

"Oh, come on, Parker," Remus coaxed her. The corner of his mouth lifted into a grin. "You're really making all of this much more difficult than it needs to be, don't you think?"

"No," she said stubbornly.

"Sirius isn't _that_ bad," Peter added. "I mean, sure, he can be obnoxious and a little conceited sometimes. And he has that bad habit of burping _really_ loud, which can be pretty gross. But if you ignore all of that, he really is a great guy."

"Thank you, Peter," Sirius said, glowering at him. "Thank you so much."

"No problem, buddy," he said, not hearing the sarcasm. Sirius just rolled his eyes.

"…but I'm not too worried about my Newts or anything," Derek was saying, gesturing with his hand. "My father works at the Ministry of Magic, and he promised me an internship at his office. He isn't exactly at the bottom of the chain, if you know what I mean." He laughed heartily and next to him, James turned his head away and silently imitated it with a sneer on his face.

For the past fifteen minutes Derek had been talking about nothing else but himself. With a reluctant ear, James had listened and learned all about Derek's childhood (he was born in Scotland, lived there until eight, and moved to England), his education (his parents started teaching him spells at age ten), and now his plans for the future. So far, James had learned that Derek wanted to be an Auror, married by 27 and have four to five kids—minimum. James was much more interested in the fact that somehow, through all of this, Derek had failed to note the unresponsiveness in James' manor and had just kept talking.

"So," Derek said, bringing his arm to rest on the back of James' chair. "What do you want to do?"

James looked up from absentmindedly staring at the sky. "What?" he said vaguely, turning his head.

"What do you want to do when you get out of Hogwarts?"

James turned his attention back to window. "I don't know," he said. "A healer, maybe. Or an Auror. I haven't really decided."

"You…want to be an _Auror?_" Derek said incredulously.

"Yeah," James replied defensively. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, no," Derek said hesitantly. "Not exactly."

"Then _what_, exactly?" James asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

"Well," Derek began. "It's just that…well, you know…you're a girl."

"You don't say," James said under his breath. "What's that got to do with being an Auror?"

"Lily, being an Auror calls for a lot of…physical activity. You know, running, strength, and sometimes hand to hand combat."

"So?" James demanded. Even though James wasn't a girl himself, his great-aunt Beatrice had been an Auror, now retired. He knew she was well known among the Aurors at the Ministry of magic, not to mention in his family, so he took this comment to heart.

"So," Derek continued. "Don't you think a…boy has the most ability to do that than a girl?"

James stared at him in disbelief. _This guy's mind is as narrow as an alley, _he thought distainfully. _What the hell does Evans see this dip? _ "It's not just about physicality, you know. It also takes a lot of intelligence. Not everyone has that. Obviously," James added acidly, glancing at Derek.

"But a girl isn't exactly as tough as a guy," Derek tried to reason.

James snorted at that comment. "Apparently, you haven't met many of girls," he said wryly, thinking of Lily. Derek opened his mouth to argue again, but decided against it and closed his mouth. He leaned back in his chair casually and looked outside, occasionally sneaking a glance at James, who had stiffly crossed his arms once again, making no attempt at conversation.

"Erm…so…" Derek said awkwardly, looking at James. James purposely ignored him. Derek frowned slightly and cast around for another subject. "Did I tell you about the time my cat chased dog around my house and into our—?"

"Yes," James said curtly, silently counting the stone bricks in the wall.

"Oh," Derek said. He slumped his shoulders for a moment. Then he smiled, and sat up straight. "How about when I accidentally turned my mother's hair into a bird's nest? It was right before one of her parties and—"

"—and the women there thought it was a new fashion trend and wore their hair like that for weeks," James said blandly. He gave Derek an exasperated look. "I know. You told me that twice." James turned his attention back to the wall. _Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six…_

"Um…okay," Derek muttered. He turned his head away from James and swore under his breath; this was not going as he had planned at all. After a second he twisted his body towards James. "Hey, Lily," he said, his scowl replaced with a charming smile. "Did I tell that I have dessert for us?"

"That's a surprise," James muttered. "Especially since dessert is usually what follows after dinner." _Seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two…_

Derek dismissed his comment and walked over to the table. He bent over for a moment and emerged holding a slice of cake. "I hope you like chocolate," he said, setting it on the table. He bent down again to get the other, and then started to place silverware and napkins next to it. James turned his head around and looked at the cake doubtfully. He loved chocolate. But if he said he didn't…

"And I have vanilla, too," Derek said, setting another slice down. "In case you're allergic or something."

James rolled his eyes, heaved a sigh, and turned his head back to the wall. "Dammit, I lost count," he mumbled. "There goes my only entertainment for this evening."

"Lily?" Derek said uncertainly from the table. "Aren't you coming over?"

James heaved a sigh and stood up to his feet, slowly making his way over to the small table. He sat down and pulled the plate of chocolate cake over to him. Picking up his fork, James gave a quick glance over to Derek, who was watching him anxiously. "Did you make this yourself?" James asked dubiously.

"Uh…no," Derek said, taking a bit out of his own slice. "I actually got one of the house elves to do it for me and deliver it up here. I'm not much of a cook, really. Last time I tried the food resembled more of ash than anything edible." He smiled at James. James just nodded slightly and continued to gingerly pick at his food.

Silence settled among them again. Derek saw that James still hadn't taken a bite. "The food's not poisoned, you know, Lily," he said lightly in a weak attempt of a joke.

James looked up at him and raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I'm just not hungry," he said stated calmly.

"But you hardly ate any of your dinner," Derek said to him, an edgy tone creeping into his voice.

"I told you I was vegetarian," James said with a shrug.

Derek opened his mouth, but closed it at the last minute. Instead he rested his elbow on the table took another bite out of his cake. "Um…so," he began. "What's your…favorite class?"

James didn't even look up from tracing designs into his cake with his fork. "Transfiguration," he muttered.

"Oh," Derek said politely. "That's very nice. Mine is Herbology."

James just flicked his eyes towards him before looking back down at his food. "Very interesting," he commented.

"Do you like it?" Derek asked eagerly.

"No," James said shortly. "In fact, I don't care one wit about plants and I think it's a dull class made for those who have no life or talent." He looked up at Derek and grinned. "But don't let my thoughts influence your…uh…_interests_," he added pleasantly

"Um," Derek said blankly. "Aright then." He twirled the fork around his fingers for a moment before saying, "Oh, I almost forgot, Lily. There's supposed to be a small meteor shower tonight. Actually—" he took a peek at his watch "—I think it's supposed to start in a few minutes. Have you ever seen a meteor shower before?"

"No," James answered. _And I don't really care to, _he added to himself.

"Great!" Derek exclaimed. "Let's just clear the table and stuff and we'll get settled, then." He stood and flicked his wand. In a second all of the remaining cake was gone, and the plates clean. James groaned quietly; that cake really had looked good, and now he was regretting that he hadn't had any. He made a mental note to go down to the kitchens later that evening. He stood up to stretch his arms and neck. _Only a little bit longer, _he thought. _Just an hour or so left until I can leave. _James chuckled softly. _Maybe I should get drunk before I go to sleep so that when I wake up I'll have no memory whatsoever of this disastrous event. No memory of this date…no memory of these shoes…it would be like it never happened. Yes, brilliant!_

A sudden _POP!_ snapped James out of his reverie and with a start, he turned his attention to where it came from. He looked over just in time to see Derek standing where the table used to be, tucking his wand back into his pocket. James' eyes widened in horror when he realized what had just happened.

Derek had gotten rid of the table and the two chairs, which meant that the only place left to sit was…

James slowly turned his head and saw Derek getting settled on the couch and, with a smile, waving him over and patting the seat next to him. James turned away from him and swore under his breath. Instead of feeling panicked, he was disgusted with the sneaky tactic.

James weighed his options. Unfortunately, he couldn't sit on the ground, considering the skirt his was in (and he refused to give Derek another reason to try and maul him by flashing more leg). James looked at the door. It was only lucky for him he had his wand. James reached behind to his back and felt it where he had tucked it into the skirt. He could blast the door to bits and be out of there faster than Derek could say _Alohamora_. With a guilty, sinking feeling in his stomach, James remembered the promise he had made to Lily about cooperating, and let go of the wand. He had never broken a promise, before, and he didn't want to start. _Well, _he thought grudgingly. _I suppose I could just sit down next to him for a little while. It won't kill me. _He looked over to Derek, who had been watching him uncertainly and now smiled and beckoned him over again. James rolled his eyes made his way over. _Well, it may severely traumatize me, _he thought grimly. _But it won't kill me. _

Grimacing slightly, James lowered himself onto the couch, leaving as much room as possible between him and Derek. Sadly, that amounted to about the total of only two feet.

Lily hobbled her way into the Common Room with aching limbs. The Quidditch practice hadn't gone too badly. After a while she had gotten the hang of the different plays. Although Lily was sure she would forget them by morning, she was much too tired to think about it. Surprisingly enough, she was also too tired to think of how the date was going with Derek. _Oh well, _she thought as she stifled a yawn. _I'll worry about it later. I know he'll screw it up some how so I might as well not think to much about it now. Better that I save my energy to yell at him later, _she added with a small smile.

Lily set her broom against the arm of a couch and spotted Kate, Peter, and Remus crowded around a small table and laughing about something. Walking closer and craning her neck, Lily saw Sirius and Parker in the middle of what looked like an intense chess game. Sirius was looking relaxed, idly cracking his knuckles while Parker looked very agitated.

"What's going on?" Lily asked. She grabbed a chair and set it next to Remus, collapsing in it rather than sitting down.

"Sirius challenged Parker to a game of chess," Kate explained, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"And he put a wager on the line," added Remus.

"Oh, really?" Lily said lightly. "What is it?"

"Parker has to go out with him on a date when she loses," Peter told her.

"You mean _if_ I lose," Parker growled dangerously. "And _when _Sirius loses, he can't ask me out ever again."

Lily smiled. "This sounds fun," she said, resting an elbow on the back of Remus' chair. "It's also a good way to put an end to all this nonsense. How long has this been going on?"

"The game? Almost an hour and half," Sirius said. He grinned at Parker. "I must say, James, our friend Parker here is rather persistent. She refuses to give up."

Parker closed her eyes and sighed impatiently. "Sirius," she said tensely. "Just because you've been playing chess longer than I have doesn't mean that you're better! If you ask me, I think I've been doing pretty well, thank you very much." She looked down at the board and said, "Rook to D-1." The piece slowly glided into place. Parker grinned triumphantly at Sirius. "Go on Sirius," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Your turn."

Sirius didn't move right away. Instead, he studied the chessboard and looked up at Parker. "Well, Parker," he said, folding his arms. He shook his head and a smile began to spread on his face. "That's amazing."

Parker shrugged. "What can I say?" she said haughtily. "I knew I would make a comeback. Do you want to forfeit, Sirius? Because I think that would be a very cowardly way of backing out."

Sirius nodded. "I agree, Parker," he said solemnly. "Which is why I would never think of doing so. Instead, I have two things to say to you."

"Two things?" Parker said, puzzled.

"Yes. The first is knight to C-5." They all watched quietly as the knight moved. Sirius smiled as the piece took out its sword and lifted it up. "The second is…" Parker stared in horror as the sword swung through the air and hit the white marble queen, breaking off the crown. Sirius smirked and propped his elbows onto the table, folded his hands, and rested his chin on top. "Checkmate!" he declared cheerfully.

Parker groaned and leaned back in her chair, covering her eyes with her hands. "Damn!" she whined. "I was so close!"

"Actually, no, you weren't," Remus quipped. "I saw that coming fifteen minutes ago."

"And you couldn't say anything?" Parker exclaimed furiously.

Sirius stood to his feet and shook his head. "It's how the game is played, darling," he said smoothly. He walked over to her side of the table and peered down at her. "Someone had to lose and it was you. I believe you owe me a date, right?" Parker just glared at him. Sirius pretended not to notice and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…let me see," he murmured. "I'm sure next Saturday is good for me. Is that alright?"

Parker scowled at the pieces on the table, and sullenly picked at a loose wood shaving. "Whatever," she muttered under her breath.

"Great!" Sirius said happily. "Saturday, seven-thirty, it's a date!" He bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "It's been fun, Parker. Night all, I'm off to take a shower." Without another word he hurried up the stairs to the Boys' Dorm, leaving Parker to put away the game.

"Ugh!" she cried, banging her hand on the table. "Damn him!"

Remus shook his head and grinned. "Don't worry, Parker," he said, playfully ruffling her hair. "It won't be so terrible." He stood up and put the chair back where he got it. "Look on the bright side. I hear that Sirius really knows how to show a girl a good time. He certainly hasn't heard any complaints yet. I bet by the end of the evening you two'll have found a nice closet and—"

"SHUT UP!" Parker picked up a scroll of parchment from her bag and hurled at Remus, who laughed uproariously, ducked out of the way, and ran up the stairs.

When he was gone, Parker rolled her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows deeper, ignoring the numerous students around the room who had begun to stare. Peter stood up, opening and closing his mouth as though he wanted to say something but couldn't form the words.

Parker glowered at him. "_What?_" she asked fiercely. "Spit it out already!"

Peter jumped and said in one big breath, "I just wanted to say good game and goodnight." With that he scurried up the stairs after Remus. Parker turned to Lily and narrowed her eyes. "Well, James?" she demanded. "Nothing to say for once in your life? I thought it I would have to have a bloody shield to fend off all your rude comments."

"No, I'm good," Lily said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Actually," Kate added. "_I _have something to say." She waited until she had Parker's attention and said, "Parker, get a grip! You know you like him so why not just give him a chance? If you ask me—"

"Which I _didn't_," Parker said crossly.

"—I think it's pretty cool that he's been chasing you all this time even though you keep saying no. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know Sirius better. You've liked him for so long, and you shouldn't pass this up no matter what you hear about him."

Lily turned to Parker. "You like Sirius?" she said in disbelief. "I didn't know that! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh, right," Parker scoffed sarcastically. "So you could go to him about it and add me to the list o girls for him to conquer? James, you two are as thick as thieves, you're the last one I would tell." Parker inhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair. "Well," she sighed. "I suppose you're right, Kate. I could at least give him a chance, right? But," she said, holding up a finger. "If he tries something with me, or if he messes up in any way, that's _it._"

"I agree," Kate told her. She rose to her feet and stretched. "Alright," she said through a yawn. "I'm going upstairs now. You coming, Parker?"

"Yeah, give me a hand, will you? My butt's sore from sitting for so long." Parker held her hand out and Kate grabbed it, heaving Parker to her feet. Once standing, Parker groaned and stretched her back. "Oh, that feels good. I think I'm going to go take a nice, hot bubble bath to relax."

"Sounds good," Kate said, heading towards the stairs. "I think I'll do the same after you. Night, James."

"Night, you guys," Lily called back. She watched them disappear into the Girls' Dorm before she made her way over to the couch. She grabbed her Herbology textbook out of her bag and lay down. "Might as well do some homework while I wait for him," she said to herself. She opened the book and leaned against a pillow. Before she started reading, she glanced at the clock. "Hmm, quarter to ten and he still isn't back," she mused aloud. "The date must not be as bad as he was worried about."

_This is exactly what I was worried about, _James thought miserably as Derek's arm tightened around his shoulders. His plan about keeping his distance hadn't lasted long, for Derek hadn't wasted anytime in wrapping the blanket around the two of them and drawing James near. To distract himself from Derek leaning in far to close for comfort, James kept his eyes stubbornly fixated on the meteor shower. But every time Derek spoke there was a waft of breath that gave James goose-bumps on his neck, and that made it quite difficult to be distracted.

"I heard that this meteor shower only comes around every ten years," Derek was saying in an awed voice. "It's lucky we caught it tonight."

James thought it was closer to wretched.

"I love meteor showers," Derek continued. "I think they're so beautiful." He turned his attention to James. "I think you're beautiful too, Lily," he said softly." James fought very hard to suppress a snort, but a gagging noise came out anyway. He sincerely hoped that if Lily were in his place she would not fall for such an over-used line.

James looked at Derek, who was obviously waiting for him to say something. "How nice of you," he said dryly.

Undaunted by the lack of feeling in James' voice, Derek smiled lifted his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind James' ear. "Your eyes really stand out," he said, dropping his voice lower. "I've never really seen a shade of green that brilliant before." James dipped his head to hide the disgusted grimace on his face, but Derek took it for a sign of shyness. "No, I mean it," he assured, laughing quietly. "They're really bright. They sort of remind me of…" _Emeralds, _James predicted, with a roll of his eyes. "…emeralds," Derek finished. "I really like them…and I like you, too, Lily."

James couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he was in a bad romance novel, like those ones his mother used to read. He started to stand up. "You know what, Darren, I'm not really feeling—" But he didn't get to finish his sentence. Before he could stop him, Derek leaned forward, placed his hands on the back of James' head, and pulled him into a kiss.

Out of complete shock James couldn't move for a moment. Then with a jolt, he realized what Derek was doing. Not only was he being kissed by someone of the same gender, but Derek's hand had started to creep down his back. James tried frantically to pull away, but Derek's grip was too strong. The situation didn't get any better when James felt what he could swear was a tongue. So, he did the one thing that he swore he would never do out of respect for another boy.

He kneed him. Hard.

Derek broke away from James with a sharp gasp and immediately doubled over. "Lily!" he chocked out. "What was that for?"

James didn't answer right away; he was vigorously wiping his mouth on his sleeve and spitting on the ground. "Oh my _God!_" he wheezed. "I can't believe you—you—!" James took a deep breath and pointed furiously at Derek. "You tried to put your tongue in my _mouth_!" he shouted. "You little bugger! I SHOULD PUNCH YOUR BLOODY FACE IN FOR THAT!"

"I thought you wanted me to kiss you!" Derek objected, still wincing in pain.

James' eyes narrowed. "Usually," he said icily, "when a person _avoids_ sitting next to someone, and acts disinterested in everything he says, it is hardly an invitation. You might want to know that for future reference." James turned around on his heel and grabbed his jacket from where he had hung it. "Normally, I would beat you to a pulp for what you did," he said in a dangerously calm tone. "But then _I _would be in a lot of trouble with someone who knows way too many curses for me to defend. So I suppose I'll have to spare you, won't I?" James stopped moving and studied Derek, his head tilted to one side. "Oh, well," he sighed ruefully. "Can't be lucky all the time." He snatched his wand from where he had tucked it into his skirt. "_Alohamora!" _The door sprang open with a loud bang and rebounded from the wall

"Lily!" Derek called, finally straightening up. "Wait a minute!"

James laughed sardonically as he strode towards the exit. "Oh, believe me, I've waited _lot _longer than I should have."

"You can't go yet!" Derek protested.

"Watch me," James snorted. He was half-way out the door when he walked back into the room. "Oh, right," James said, holding up a finger. "One more thing." A Cheshire cat-like smile slowly spread across his face as he said, "If you ever come within ten feet of me, or if you even _talk_ to me again, I will not hesitate to permanently rearrange your face beyond recognition using nothing but my fist. Is that clear?" Derek nodded as eyes widened fearfully. James' smile widened. "Good," he said. "_Now _I can go."

James stalked out of the Astronomy Tower, leaving a dumbfounded Derek gaping after him. James allowed himself a small smile and inhaled deeply; he had been waiting to say something like that ever since Derek had kissed him for the first time on the cheek. Now that he had, it was even more satisfying than James had anticipated.

He checked his watch. It was only ten after ten, and normally a date would last to at least eleven. Lily would probably know something was wrong if he arrived too early. _I suppose I could go the kitchens for an hour or so to wait, _James thought. He felt his stomach grumble, and realized he hadn't eaten a good meal since lunch. _I could get a good snack as well. _As James made his way down to the kitchens, the victorious feeling of getting away from Derek melted away, and a feeling of concern settled into its place.

What would he tell Lily? Though she wasn't his favorite person in the world, James was not looking forward to letting her know that the guy she liked had turned out to be a creep who tried to use her. James had to admit that even Lily didn't deserve something like that. _But if I don't, _he thought, biting his lip. _She'll think everything went great and want to go out with him again. _James stopped in front of the portrait entrance to the kitchens. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, raking a hand through his hair, something he always did when he was deep in thought.

_Well, _James contemplated. _I could not tell her, and just let her find out for herself. That way, I could stay out of it and she won't blame me. _A sharp jolt of guilt followed the thought immediately. _But then, _he thought grimly. _It could happen again, and that time it _would _be my fault for not warning. If I do tell her, she wouldn't believe me anyway. _James heaved a sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. _But at least I could try. _No matter what he did, there would be consequences to each choice. James exhaled one more time before pulling himself to his feet. _I'll think about it later, _he determined, but he had a good idea about which decision he would make.

Before tickling the pear on the painting, James winced and pulled off the uncomfortable brown shoes that he had worn. "I don't care what she says," he grumbled. "Shoes are meant to be comfortable and that's that." Barefooted and holding the shoes in hand, James tickled the pear and walked into the kitchen, scrunching his nose up at the cold floor.

One of the house elves dropped his rag and hurried over to James. "Anything we can get for you, miss?" he squeaked politely.

"Uh, yeah," James said. "What was served for dinner tonight?"

"Chicken, vegetables, brown rice, backed potatoes, and pudding for desert, Miss."

"Do you have any left?"

"Certainly!" the elf exclaimed eagerly. "Tibby will prepare it right now!"

"Thanks!" James called, but Tibby was already scurrying away, rapidly talking to other house-elves. James sank into a chair and rubbed his sore feet. He caught sight of a scarlet candle and scowled deeply as he was forcefully reminded of Derek. _Bloody pervert, _he thought darkly. Then his scowl changed to a look of worry.

Lily had often used that word to describe _him_. James pensively chewed on the inside of his cheek. _Does that mean she thinks _I _would ever try to make a girl…? _ He didn't want to finish that thought. James furrowed his eyebrows and forced himself away from it. He moved his hands as Tibby set the steaming plate of food down in front of him. "So what?" he said to himself. "It's not like I care what she thinks, anyway." But as he picked up his fork and took a bite from his rice, James knew deep down that he really did.

A little more than an hour later, at 11:25, James walked quietly back into the Gryffindor Common Room. There were still some students gathered around the room talking quietly, and a very few of them studying. James looked around and saw Lily asleep on the couch. She had a textbook laying across her stomach, so it appeared that she had fallen asleep waiting for him. James crept over to her and gently took the book out of her hands. As he set it down on the floor, Lily stirred slightly and cracked open her eyes.

"There you are," she murmured sleepily. "I was wondering when you'd get back. How'd the date go?"

James paused before answering. "Um…actually, Evans," he began uncertainly.

"Your practice went alright, by the way," Lily interrupted hazily. Her eyes were already drifting closed again. "I tried my best, and I think I did pretty well. But I'm still a bit nervous for tomorrow." She yawned widely and stretched her arms. "So, how was the date?"

James opened his mouth once more to tell he what had occurred that evening, but he took another look at Lily fighting to stay awake, and couldn't do it. _She has a big day tomorrow, _he decided. _She needs her rest, and if I tell her she certainly won't get it. Better to let her relax, now. I'll tell her in the morning. _"Er," James stammered. "It was…it went fine."

"See?" Lily said smugly. "I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

James attempted to return her smile, but didn't quite make it. "Yeah, you were right." He reached across her and pulled the large blanket from the back of the couch. "Look," he said. "Why don't you get some sleep? You'll need it for tomorrow." James shook the blanket open and draped it over Lily. He reached out and gently removed the glasses from her face and set them on the table.

Lily rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. "Alright then," she said drowsily. "G'night, Potter."

"'Night," he said softly. He stood there watching her for a moment before he sighed, took out his wand, and changed into his pajamas. After neatly folding and placing them on the ground, he headed to the Prefect's bathroom. _I have got to brush my teeth to get the taste of that jackass out of my mouth, _he thought, feeling a bit ill.

Ten minutes later, he was still scouring his mouth out with toothpaste.

**A/N: **and there you have it! Poor James, huh? I can't wait to write the chapter after next, because a few important things are going to happen.

Oh, ONE MORE THING: it turns out there is such thing as chocolate covered pistachios! I tried them a few weeks ago and they're actually REALLY GOOD!

**Until next time, **

**Spirit**


	13. Gryffindor Vs Ravenclaw

**A/n: Hey there, Everyone! I'm glad you all enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for waiting patiently. Also for the support about the busy-ness of my life.** **By the by, did you guys here that the next HP book is going to be called HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE? I did!!!! I'm so excited for it to come out. Not to mention, J.K ROWLING is pregnant! I read all of this in the newspaper while I was in San Francisco. Very exciting news. **

**That being said, I think it is alright to continue onto Chapter Thirteen, Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor! **

**Oh, ONE MORE THING: I realize that I originally wrote Derek as a member of the Gryffindor house in one of the earlier chapters. I must have forgotten this or something, so I apologize for any confusion. Derek is officially part of Ravenclaw, ok? **

**Oh, ONE MORE THING: I think I said that the scenes with Lily out with the boys and James spending a night with the girls was going to come in this chapter, but if I did that, the chapter would be, like, fifty pages long. So I decided to split the chapter up. So all that stuff will be in chapter fourteen, then Lily's confrontation with Derek is going to be in chapter sixteen. Everything okay? Great! **

**Okay, _NOW_ I think it is alright to continue onto the chapter. Enjoy! **

Chapter Thirteen: Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw.

"Rise and shine!" James chirped cheerfully. It was nine-thirty the next morning, and James was already dressed. But it was a few hours too early for Lily's taste.

She groaned and covered her ear with her pillow. "Go 'way," she mumbled irritably, her speech slurred by fatigue. "'S'too damn early, Potter. Wake me up in a few hours." James sighed and shook his head before taking away the pillow that Lily was using. "Don't!" she whined. Lily half-heartedly reached for it again, missing by far. "Fi' more minutes…Tha's all I want…"

"Evans, you need to get up, _now_," James ordered, nonplussed by her pleading. "It's Saturday, remember? Do you know what that means?"

"Yes," Lily grunted tonelessly. "It means that I don't wake up before eleven."

"The game _starts_ at eleven," James stated plainly.

"So wake me up at ten-fifty-nine, I promise I'll get ready quickly..."

"Evans, we need to go over the rules one last time before you go on the pitch. Plus, the team goes out there a good half-hour before they start the game. And you need to eat a good breakfast and—Evans, are you listening to me? _Evans!_" But it was no use. Lily just scowled and rolled over so that her back was now to James. With difficulty, he suppressed the stream of curses that were threatening break loose. He set his mouth in a grim line and moved around to the rear of the couch, placing his hands against back of it, and planted his feet firmly on the floor for support. Screwing up his face, James gave a good, hard push and tipped the couch over, sending Lily tumbling onto the floor with a thump. She was suddenly wide awake.

"_What_ is your problem?" she exclaimed. "I just wanted to sleep for a few more minutes! Is that so much to ask?"

James carefully set the couch back on its four legs. "Right now, yes!" he said earnestly.

Lily furrowed her eyebrows in a pout. "Slave driver," she murmured.

James crossed his arms and grinned. "I prefer unreasonably dedicated. Now hurry up! You need to go get your uniform on and go down to the Great Hall for breakfast, _right now_, Evans, before I pick you up and carry you down there myself, don't think I won't!" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, James realized that given his current state, he wouldn't even be able to lift Lily more than a few inches off the ground.

Apparently she did, too, because Lily paid no attention to this empty threat. Instead, she just stood up and stretched languidly. Then she bent over to pick up the blankets that had fallen to the floor, doing this so slowly that James knew it was deliberate. He watched as Lily took the time to fold each one and set it on the back of a chair, impatiently shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Finally, he said tensely, "Do you _mind? _I would like to get down to the Great Hall _before _the Quidditch World Cup, if that's alright with you."

"Then go," she retorted.

James glowered at her. "I meant to have you with me when I did," he said contemptuously. "That's kind of the point of me waiting, you see."

"Just wait for me down there, then," Lily told him shortly.

James shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said, forcing his tone to sound careless. "Starve, and see if I care." Then he added, "Hurry up, I'll be waiting." With that said, he stalked out of the Common Room, leaving a very satisfied Lily smirking and finishing her task.

Nearly half an hour later, James sat waiting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, looking to the door anxiously every time someone walked in, and swearing under his breath every time he saw that it wasn't Lily. He heard voices and turned his head to the entrance. It wasn't Lily this time, either. Instead it was Derek with a few friends, laughing loudly and joking around about something. Derek's audacious grin faltered when he spotted James.

James raised his eyebrows ever-so-slightly, but otherwise kept his face completely expressionless. He picked up his fork, and impaled it into the center of his pancake with a small _clink _as it reached the surface of the plate.James stared at Derek straight in the eye the whole time. Derek received his message loud and clear, murmuring something to one of one of his comrade's before moving on to his own table. James turned his attention back to his meal and poured syrup over his food. "He made the right choice, for once," he muttered darkly. At that moment, Lily came strolling in and took her seat across from him. "There you are!" James said angrily. "Took you long enough, didn't it?"

Lily reached for a plate and served herself some eggs. "Oh, stop it," she said briskly. "I had to stop at the library."

"What for?" James demanded.

"What do you think?" she shot back. "What else is the library used for, Potter?" James couldn't respond since he had a mouth full of sausage, so he gave her a dirty look instead. "I had to pick up a book," Lily continued, piling on bacon.

"There's no time for reading!" James nearly yelled when he had swallowed.

"I know that!" Lily said defensively. "But this isn't just regular reading. I'm researching." She pulled out a light-blue, worn book from her bag and opened it to the page which she had marked. Her eyes flew from left to right as she skimmed the pages between bites of eggs and bacon.

James tipped the book up a little to get a look at the cover. "Quidditch?" he said incredulously. "You're doing research on _Quidditch?_" Lily didn't answer, too absorbed within the pages. James let out an exasperated sigh and briefly covered his eyes with is hands to calm down. "Hey, Evans," he said when he had composed himself.

Lily didn't look up from the book. "Hm?"

"Can I see that, please?" Lily stared at him before reluctantly handing over the text. James turned the pages, nodding approvingly. "Hmm…" he said casually. "_Rules and Tips for a Quidditch Player _by Kendrick McRedding…good stuff. Bold Bomber, the Harlington Advance…they talk about some good moves here, Evans."

"I'm reading it so I can know exactly what to do," Lily said, somewhat proudly. "I know I've been to practices and stuff, but it can't hurt to learn a little something extra, right?" James glanced up and studied her intently. Then he snapped the book shut.

"Well," he said. "Maybe you're right. And I think I know the best way to put this book to use, Evans. Would you like me to show you?" Lily nodded emphatically. "Alright, then. It won't be too difficult. First step." James held the book firmly in both hands. "You take the book in your hand. Then, comes the most important part. Are you watching, Evans? Because this part is _very _critical."

"I'm watching," she said, eyes fixated on James.

"Okay, good. Here we go. Watch carefully, now." He cleared his throat and held up the book for Lily to see. When she nodded again, he flung it carelessly over his shoulder, smirking widely when he heard it land with a loud _thunk_and slide across the wooden floor.

"Hey!" Lily cried, standing to her feet, "Why'd you do that, Potter? I though you said you knew how I could use that book in the best way, and _that _does not help me at all!"

To Lily's surprise, James was laughing. "Evans, calm down!" he said, motioning her to take her seat. "I wasn't kidding. That book can help you the most lying on the ground than it can in your hands."

"I thought…" Lily lowered herself onto the bench, looking worried. "But you said it was good stuff!"

"I wasn't kidding when I said that either," James said with a shrug.

Lily folded her arms on the table and put her head down. "I needed that to study," she moaned quietly, her voice muffled.

"You see?" James told her, pointing with his fork. "That's one of you're problems. You think you can learn the answer to every thing from a book."

Lily lifted her head, trying to pull off a mean look but not quite making it. "Thanks," she said sullenly. "Thank you, very much. That makes me feel a whole lot better."

James sighed and shook his head. "No, you took it the wrong way. What I mean is that there are some things you can't studyEvans. There are things that you can't just learn by reading. And sometimes, doing that will just confuse you more. Quidditch is like that. You can't just read a few pages and suddenly be a pro at it. You've got to learn it by experience and falling off you're broom every now and then. So just keep in mind what you learned with me and at Quidditch practices."

Lily gave one last wistful look over to where the book still lay on the floor, and turned back to James. "Well," she relented. "I could do without falling off a broom, but I think I see the main point."

"You'll be fine," he told her reassuringly.

There was a silence between them as Lily studied her plate and prodded at her food. She looked up at James and said hesitantly, "Thanks for…you know, calming me down."

James gave her a lopsided grin and nodded. "No problem," he replied. Lily tentatively returned his smile and quickly looked back down at her eggs. James watched her for a minute, deep in reflection. _Did Evans and I just share a friendly moment? _he thought, somewhat bewilderedly. _It wasn't so awkward once we really got the hang of it. _James took another glance at Lily and noticed hadn't taken a bite in a while._ Hm, _he thought amusedly. _Evans must be pretty nervous. Pale in the face, fidgety…She sort of reminds me of myself on my first day of Quidditch. _James' grin broadened at this realization and he took a sip from his orange juice. Lily still wasn't eating.

James decided to have a bit of fun with this. He cleared his throat to hide the quiet laugh that had escaped. "You know, you might want to eat those before they get too cold," he said lightly, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin in hand. "Speaking from personal experience, cold eggs don't settle very well in the stomach. Especially when you're making sharp turns, deep dives, and such. I tell you, they jump around like nothing else, and you feel every single bounce in your stomach." James lowered his voice and leaned in closer to Lily. "And between you and me," he whispered. "An interruption of aerial projectile breakfast can be quite a distraction, both to the teams and the audience."

Lily threw him a disgusted look, but suppressed an amiable grin. "How is that supposed to make me eat?"

James shrugged innocently. "I'm just trying to be helpful, Evans."

"Well, you can stop now." Lily poured herself a glass of milk and took a long sip. "Better?" she asked mockingly. James chuckled softly at the milk mustache that had been left behind on Lily's upper lip. He gestured to his own and said, "You've got a…little something right here." She looked confused for a second, then rolled her eyes and wiped it away with an impatient hand. "Shut up," she muttered, scowling deeply. James just laughed again and took a bite from his food.

Lily ignored him. "Hey," she said suddenly, gazing at the other side of the room. "There's Derek!"

James's grin slowly faded away.

"Has he talked to you yet today?" Lily asked anxiously as she craned her neck to get a better look at the Ravenclaw table.

"Um…well," James said uncertainly. "He _tried _to talk to me about ten minutes ago."

"And?" she prompted.

James bit his lip. "He was…distracted by his friends," he lied carefully.

"Oh…" Lily's voice was laced with disappointment and her eyes fell downcast. "Well," she said, perking up immediately. "Maybe he's just excited for the match, you know?"

James forced himself to smile. "Yeah," he agreed. "Sure." He saw Lily sneak a glance at Derek, who was leaning close to one of his friends, whispering to him and laughing every few seconds. James took a deep breath. _Okay, _he told himself. _I've got to tell her. I'll do it right now. _He inhaled one more time and opened his mouth, but Lily interrupted.

"So, how did the date go? I tried to stay up last night, but I guess I was a little more tired than I thought." Her eyes glittered excitedly. "You have to tell me _everything!_"

James winced and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. He laughed nervously. "Actually, Evans, 'everything' will take quite a long time."

"We have time," Lily protested.

"Um…okay." James pressed his lips together, gathering his thoughts. "He met me outside of the Gryffindor Common Room," he began slowly. _Maybe I can distract her…just so I can have time to think of what to say. _"In fact, he arrived exactly on time. That's really important on a date, too, don't you think?" James rambled on. "I say, if a person doesn't have punctuality, it'll just go all the way downhill from there. That reminds of this one girl I dated, who—"

"Potter," Lily interjected impatiently. James stopped abruptly. "Focus," she said, pointing to herself. "What did you two do on the date?"

James averted his eyes. "Um…" he stammered. "He…provided dinner."

Lily beamed at him. "Really?" she squealed. "That's so sweet! What a gentleman." She looked at Derek again, and didn't see James give her a doubtful look. "What else?" she asked eagerly.

James sighed and tried not to roll his eyes. "He talked about himself. A lot," he added with a grimace.

"Well, that's nice," Lily told him. "It's good that he's articulate. Some people just sit there like stones and don't tell you anything about themselves at all. What else?"

James looked at Lily, watching him earnestly as she waited to hear more about what happened on that night. He bit the inside of his cheek uncertainly while he tried to come up with something to say to her next. _I could tell her he was really interested to know what she wants to do with her life, _he told himself. _Or maybe I could say he was really polite and a good listener…Evans would never know anything went wrong…_, he thought. James felt a guilty pang in the pit of his stomach. He knew that he had to say something, or else he would regret it.

James exhaled loudly, closed his eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the tips of his fingers.

"What?" Lily asked worriedly, her smile faltering. "What's wrong?"

He stared at her intently. "Actually, Evans, the truth is—"

But James was cut off by the sound of deafening footsteps coming their way. He and Lily turned to look at the entrance of the Great Hall and saw Parker and Kate hurrying towards them in a flurry. The black robes they wore were hanging off their shoulders and the red and yellow scarves were tied sloppily around their necks to show their Gryffindor spirit, clearly showing that they had thrown on their clothes in the most haphazard fashion.

"Ohmygod!" Parker shrieked between puffs of breath, bouncing in her seat from excitement. "You _have _to tell us what happened, Lily!" There was a noisy clatter as she began to quickly serve herself breakfast.

James looked at her, completely puzzled. "What are you talking ab—?"

"Tell us _every—single—word _exchanged between you and Derek," Kate ordered, looking at James attentively. "And _don't _leave out a _thing_!"

"Especially the juicy parts," Parker added with a childish giggle. James barely had time to blink before he was bombarded with questions.

"Where did you meet?" Parker fired at him.

Kate started her question on the word "you". "What did you wear?" she asked keenly. "I can't believe you didn't let us help you get ready, Lily! We always do that together. Did you where that cute, dark green dress?"

"Or was it that nice skirt with the matching jacket?"

"Where did he take you? Was it romantic?"

"Hey!" Lily said, sounding annoyed. "Why don't you give her a chance to answer the first question before asking another one!" _I'll never hear what happened at this rate, _she thought sourly.

"Did he bring you flowers?" Parker asked. Her face took on a wistful expression as she rested her chin in her hand. "I've _always_ wanted a boy to bring me flowers on a date," she added longingly.

"I'll keep that in mind, Parker," said a voice behind her. Parker turned her head and saw Sirius peering down at her in amusement. He set his broom against the bench, crossed his arms, and smiled. She made a derisive noise and turned to her attention to her food, pointedly ignoring him as he sat down next to her. "So," Sirius continued, smiling charmingly. "Do you prefer daisies or roses?"

"Neither," Parker answered shortly.

"Her favorites are sunflowers," Kate offered. Parker reached behind James and angrily swatted her on the shoulder with her hand, but Kate pretended it didn't happen. "And she's allergic to daisies."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully and said, "I can respect that."

Parker leaned forward and turned her head towards Kate, so she could see her clearly, and fixed her with a furious glare. "Anything _else _you'd like to share, Kate?" she said menacingly.

"Parker likes the white sunflowers rather than the yellow ones," Kate said, disregarding the sarcasm. "And make sure the stems aren't too long. She usually puts them in vases. Oh, and she _hates_ fancy chocolate. She likes any candy that's fruit flavored, but nothing cherry. Oh, and don't get her any nuts either—"

"Thank you, Kate," Parker said in a loud voice, scowling deeply. "Why don't you tell him my life story and be done with it?"

Sirius shook his head. "Nah," he said. "I think I have enough information for now. Besides, we want something to talk about over dinner, don't we?"

"Why do you want to know any of that stuff anyway, Sirius?" James asked curiously. "It sounds like you're interviewing Parker or something."

"You see, Lily," Sirius said slyly. "Dear Parker and I have a date."

James' eyebrows shot up and he grinned widely. "Seriously?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yup," his friend answered cheerfully. "Next Friday night!"

James laughed. "You finally got her!" he said to Sirius. "Well it's about bloody time, mate!" Sirius looked at him oddly, but a playful smile was still on his face.

"Excuse me!" Parker cried indignantly, looking at the two of them. "I'm no trophy, and I refuse to be talked about as though I've been won!"

Sirius poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "Well, Parker, darling," he said pleasantly. "In a way, you _were_ sort of won, considering the circumstances under which you agreed to our date."

James looked at Parker, who had clenched her jaw and was glowering at Sirius in a loathsome way. "What does he mean, 'considering the circumstances'?" James asked her. Parker took a sip of water and set the glass down with unnecessary harshness.

Sirius winced. "Careful, Lily," he warned, his eyes twinkling playfully. "That's a delicate subject to discuss with Parker. After all, she is a bit sore over what happened."

"The long and short of it is that Parker was cocky enough to make a bet with Sirius in a chess game," explained Kate. "She bet him that she would win, Sirius upped the stakes, and Parker lost. Now she has to go on a date with him." She moved closer to James and whispered loudly, "And as you can see, she's extremely bitter."

"I am _not _bitter!" Parker exclaimed defensively. James and Sirius looked at Parker skeptically. "Don't you give me that look, Sirius Black! And don't even think for a _second_ that this thing between us will be habitual!"

Sirius held up a finger. "Ah," he said quietly, a smirk on his face. "But you _do _think that there is something between us…"

"That isn't what I said!"

The smirk turned into an attractive, lopsided smile as Sirius rose to his feet. "Whatever you say, Parker," he said, winking discreetly. Sirius shook a few dark strands of hair out of his face with an elegant toss of his head. He reached across the table and grabbed an apple. "I'm off to the pitch. You coming, James?" he asked Lily.

She shook her head. "No," Lily replied. "I'm staying here to finish my breakfast. I'll meet you out there."

Sirius shrugged. "Alright," he said simply. Then he turned to Parker. "You're going to cheer me on, right, Parker?"

Her wrinkled forehead slightly, preoccupied with carefully pouring syrup beside her sausage. "Of course," she mumbled absently. "I always cheer on the team."

Sirius smiled slowly, bent down close to her ear, and said in a soft voice, "That's not what I asked." Before straightening up, he briefly rested a hand on her shoulder, and then gave a little wave to the others. "See you later," he said merrily. Sirius turned around and walked calmly out of the Great Hall, as though the exchange between him and Parker had never taken place. Her bright red face was the only evidence that it had ever happened.

Kate turned to her with a taunting smile on her face. "So, Parker," she teased. "Are you going to do what he asked?"

Parker shrugged carelessly, by her face turned a shade darker. "I guess," she said nonchalantly. "If he wants me to."

"If he wants you to?" James repeated incredulously. "You have no idea what he's like after a game." He took on an exaggerated, eager tone. "'Do you think she saw me aim that bludger at so-and-so, huh? Do you, mate?' 'I hope Parker was watching when I pulled off that double-loop, do you think she saw me?'"

"Sirius was looking pretty nice in his robes, don't you think, Parker?" Kate asked casually.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Parker murmured, looking towards the Great Hall entrance. "Scarlet really does suit him very nicely."

About ten minutes later James and Lily left the other at breakfast, under the excuses that they needed to talk about prefect business on the way to the Quidditch Pitch. As they hurriedly made their way through the halls, James was quickly going over the rules of Quidditch, enthusiastically waving his hands around as Lily listened with a reluctant ear.

"There are three hoops," he was explaining rapidly, "And you can score a goal in any three of them, it doesn't really matter."

"I know, Potter," Lily sighed.

"And, remember, you and the other two chasers are the _only _ones aloud to touch the Quaffle. Oh, and the keeper, of course. So make sure you don't pass to the beaters. Just so you know, they'll be the ones with the clubs."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I _know_ that," she said through gritted teeth as she rounded a corner. James ignored her, too caught up in what he was saying. "And, you _can't forget, _Evans," he said, emphatically shaking his finger at her. "You can't forget to keep an eye out for the Bludgers, because—"

"I KNOW, DAMMIT!" Lily yelled, stopping abruptly and rounding on James. "You can quit talking to me like I'm a three-year-old, Potter! Surprise, surprise, I have seen a Quidditch game or two in my _lifetime, _thank you very much! And if you think you're helping me by ticking off all these _extra rules, _you can stop now, because that's just making me more nervous. And you know what? _THAT'S NOT HELPING ME!_" She shouted, leaning closer to James.

He quickly held up his hands in a self-protective mode. "Okay, okay," he said, looking alarmed. "I'm sorry. Just relax, alright?"

"Relax?" Lily repeated disbelievingly. "_Relax? _You're telling me to relax, when I have to go out there and play my first Quidditch game in front of the _entire_ school? Stop telling me to relax, Potter, because I am _not _relaxed!"

"You were fine a second ago!" James said defensively. "What happened to being such an expert after seeing a 'game or two', remember?"

"Shut up!" Lily snapped, stalking off down the hallway. "This is no time to be smug, Potter; I am not in the mood."

James hurried to catch up with her. "All I'm saying is that you need to calm down," he said plainly.

"Well, stop it because it's making me panic!"

"Why?"

"Because the more you say 'calm down' that means there is more to be worried about," Lily explained earnestly. "It'd be different if you said it once or twice, but it's become your mantra which means that I have _a lot _to be worried about!"

James blinked in surprise before turning her and laying his hands firmly on Lily's shoulders. "Listen to me, Evans," he said sternly. "Important that you take a breath and chill. I understand that you're nervous, but you _can't panic. _It will only make things worse, trust me on that. I'll try not to make you any more anxious by telling you to do stuff, okay? I just have to ask you one more time. Is there _anything _you're confused about or need me to explain?"

Lily thought for a moment before saying, "It seems like there are a bunch of weird names for different moves and stuff. How am I going to know what to do and where to go? I had a bit of a problem with that last night when Brian told us to do the…Double-Wingy-Wambo Combination or something like that."

James looked baffled. "Oh," he said, realization dawning on him. "You mean the Double-Wingdinger Combo." A proud, smug look crossed his face. "I taught them that."

"Yes, I know," Lily replied, waving her hand impatiently. "But I had to ask one of your team mates and he looked at him like I was insane. I don't think I can keep asking one of them without raising suspicion that something's wrong. But at the same time I know for sure that I will have no idea what to do it Brian calls out a play like that."

James furrowed his eyebrows and stroked his chin, thinking hard for a solution. "I'm not too sure about that," he murmured. "But you're clever. I'm sure you could pick up your place in the formation. Whenever we do a play, there's always pattern that the chasers are placed in. So all you have to do is pay attention to where they are, go to the place where you think fits it, and pay attention for the quaffle."

"I wouldn't know where to the throw the Quaffle!"

"Then just listen to whoever is calling for it!" James told her. "You'll here someone say, "Over here, Potter," or "I'm open," and that's all you have to do."

"But—!" Lily began.

"Look, Evans, either way this is not going to be easy. You're nervous, which is going to make everything seem ten times harder. But once you get up in the air, you'll get the hang of it and before you know it, the game will be over."

Lily sighed and looked miserably at her feet. "Okay."

James put a comforting arm around her. "Everything will be fine," he assured. "Don't worry. Now you have to get to the locker room for the pre-pep talk that Brian always gives. C'mon, I'll walk you there."

Lily nodded and let James steer her to the Gryffindor Team locker room, stopping short of the door. "Okay, I'll see you later."

A panic-stricken look crossed Lily's face. "You mean you're not coming in with me?"

"There are two very good reasons for that, Evans," James said. He held up a finger. "Number one: no one is allowed in there who isn't a member of the Quidditch team. That's why they are called the _Quidditch Team _Locker-rooms."

"So?"

"The other reason is that the actual room where the team meets to go over last minute plays and stuff is connected to the two changing rooms. And the way you're about to enter them is through the Boy's changing room, where girls—that would be me at the present moment—are not allowed. You'll have to go in there on your own." Lily raised her eyebrows. _Boy's changing room…I suppose I could continue on my own after-all… _"I'll be sitting in the stands," James was saying. "Probably next to Parker and Kate."

"Remus is the announcer, right?"

"Right, so he had to go and make sure everything was alright with the scoring stuff and that it hadn't been tampered with. So, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah," Lily said lightly. "Meet me in the Hospital Wing; I'll be the one unconscious."

"Come on, Evans, it'll be fine. I promise." James put his hand over his heart and gave her an innocent smile.

She gave him a very pained look and said tonelessly, "Just so you know, that does nothing to reassure me at all."

James laughed quietly and shook his head. "Well, it's nice to know that you are unchanged by anxiety. If you had said something polite like 'thank you' I'd have been concerned for your well-being. Now hurry up and get in there." He gave her a slight shove in the direction of the door. Lily pushed it open and stepped inside. Just before she closed it again, she looked at James with a fairly shy grin. "Um…" she began tentatively. "Thanks for putting up with me about this Quidditch thing. You know, calming me down and stuff. I appreciated it, and thanks for being patient with me." Her smile grew into a smirk. "_Somewhat_ patient, anyway. I'll see you later."

After she shut the door softly, James stood there staring at it, mouth open in surprise. _Did she just thank me? _he thought incredulously. _Evans just _thanked _me. Maybe I should be concerned for her well-being. _Very _concerned._He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. _But even so, it _was_ a very nice thank you. _James cheerfully made his way to the Quidditch Pitch, unable to contain the large smile playing on his face.

Ten minutes later Lily stood with the rest of the Quidditch team on the platform from which they were suppose to take off. Brian had given them a short talk, going over their plays on a whiteboard. Lily had nodded along with everyone else, not understanding a word Brian was saying. Despite the biting cold in the weather, Lily was feeling quite warm and frequently said to her teammates, "Is it hot in here? Because I'm feeling really hot at the moment." There had been a few different responses. Brian had replied enthusiastically, "That's the spirit, Potter!" making the mistake of thinking that Lily meant she was getting pumped up about the game. The girls on the team had rolled their eyes, and one of them had said, "Really James, you are good-looking and everything, but don't you think you're a little full of yourself?" Garrison had finally put a hand to her forehead, and for a fleeting moment Lily thought she could get out of the game by faking a fever. Unfortunately he had told her she was as cold as ice, so that plan was through.

So now Lily was standing on the platform, looking out at the cheering crowds, and sweating quite profusely. She took a deep breath and wiped her clammy palms on her robes. Brian looked at her in concern.

"You alright, Potter?" he asked, peering into her face worriedly. "You don't look so good."

"I don't?" Lily said eagerly. _Oh, I could definitely play off of this! _"I-I mean-no, no I'm not feeling so great. I've got…erm…a sore throat, and my…head hurts a bit. D'you think I should sit out? Because I can sit out if you think I should, as you're captain and everything."

Brian snorted and leaned on his broom. "Oh, is that all?" he said. "I was scared it was something serious!"

"I-isn't it serious?" Lily stammered.

"Of course not. James, you once went out there in the pouring rain with a hacking cough, chills, and a 102º fever. Sure, you fainted afterwards and Madam Pomfrey was livid with you. But the important thing is that you played great and we won the game!"

"Brilliant," Lily said brightly, forcing a smile. "I'm glad you care about my health. It really makes me feel special." An echoing voice sounded from outside and loud cheering started up.

"Alright, that's our cue," said Brian, slinging a leg over his broomstick. "Mount your brooms, everyone!"

Lily followed suit and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to remember everything James had taught her. _Kick off firmly, relax, stay calm, take control of the broom, hold on tightly, stay calm, relax… _She took another deep breath and chanted these thoughts over and over again in her mind. The doors opened, streaming light into the small, dim room. Remus was announcing the Gryffindor team and the crowds were growing louder. Lily bit her lip and gripped the end of the broom tighter, trying one more time to pull herself together.

Relaxed or not, it was time to play.

"There you are, Lily," Parker greeted as James made his way to his seat. "It's nice to know _someone _will be sitting with me."

"What do you mean? Where's Kate?" James asked, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck. He blew on his hands in an attempt to warm them up. "I thought she was coming to the game?"

"Oh, she's here," Parker said moodily. "Bailey Portman asked her to sit with him. She doesn't even know him, but she didn't hesitate to leave me alone. She's somewhere up there. I suppose I can't blame her. He's can definitely be classified under attractive." James rolled his eyes. "Besides, I'd never pass up a chance if a good-looking guy asked me to sit with him."

James rubbed his hands together and gave her a side-glance, grinning lopsidedly. "Like Sirius, for instance?" he said teasingly.

"Yes, like—I mean, no!" Parker said without thinking. "I never mentioned his name, did I?"

"You didn't have to," James said simply, shrugging his shoulders. A booming voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

"Good morning, ladies and gents!" Remus' voice reverberated through the pitch. "Welcome on this beautiful but frosty morning of March to the Quidditch game. Today it's RAVENCLAW VERSUS GRYFFINDOR!" Both houses were the loudest of all, each trying to outdo the other in volume. James exhaled and rubbed his hands together again.

"Here we go," he muttered.

"What do you say we cut the small talk and get this game started?" There was clapping and animated shouting in response. "Alright, for the Gryffindor team, we have BARRY LAWSON OUR KEEPER, CHASERS, CLARK GARRISON, JAMES POTTER (hey, there, buddy!), AND CAPTAIN BRIAN MONAGHAN, BEATERS JILL THOMASON, AND SIRIUS BLACK, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, OUR SEEKER, TRISHA WISEMAN!!!" The Gryffindor side of the pitch grew uproarious, almost drowning out the booing of the Slytherin House. James clapped along with the rest of his housemates as he watched the Quidditch team fly out when each name was called. Even though he couldn't see the faces, he could easily pick Lily out in an instant; she was the slowest one.

James looked upwards to the sky and said, "Look, if there is a higher power in the world, please make it quick and somewhat painless? If Trisha catches the snitch early I swear on my Invisibility Cloak I'll give up all forms of coffee forever. I'll never touch the stuff again." He quickly rethought what he said, and added, "Well, maybe not forever. How about to the end of the weekend?" There was the sound of cheering from the Ravenclaw side, which meant that their team had just been announced.

"Lily, who are you talking to?" Parker asked curiously.

James looked back to her and laughed nervously. "Huh? Oh, no one in particular. Just, you know, a little routine I do when I need some luck."

"Right." Parker was quiet for a moment before saying, "Hey, Lily, can I talk to you about something?"

James bit his lip frantically, looking to where the teams were positioning themselves to begin. "Right now?" he asked desperately. He gestured to the pitch. "But the game is starting!"

Parker nodded and sighed. "Yeah, alright," she relented. "I suppose I could just talk to you later."

"Great," James replied absentmindedly. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the Quidditch players flew into action. Remus was speaking rapidly in attempt to keep up with the fast pace of action. Presently, Gryffindor had the Quaffle, and Lily was keeping up quite nicely so far, flying around wherever the rest of the chasers were. She hadn't caught the red ball yet, and James breathed a sigh of relief when Brian scored the first goal; if she could just continue like this for a little longer, everything would be fine.

"AND GRYFFINDOR SCORES FIRST!" Remus' voice boomed. "Way to go, Monaghan!" The Quaffle was instantly back in play, this time in the hands of a Ravenclaw.

"No!" James yelled vehemently, banging his hand on the banister. "C'mon, get it back! STEAL IT! PULL THE BLUDGER BACKBEAT MOVE! _THE BLUDGER BACK BEAT MOVE!_" There was a loud cheer as the Ravenclaw chaser scored a goal, making the score even at ten to ten. "Dammit!" James groaned and put his hands over his face. Sitting up in the stands was much more different than being out there in the game. It was much safer, and no risk of getting injured.

James hated it. The boredom and lack of movement was killing him.

Parker regarded him with a strange look on her face. "Lily," she said tentatively. "Are you okay? You seem a bit…high strung."

"I'm telling you, they should have used the Backbeat Move," James said earnestly. "If Sirius or Jill had just aimed the bludger at the back of his arm. Then it would have hit the Quaffle, popping it out and giving it to a chaser, and we could have scored!"

"Um…okay," Parker said uncertainly. "Since when are you so intense about Quidditch? You always need me or Kate to tell you what's going on."

"I've been brushing up on the rules," James said, eyes on the game. Brian had the Quaffle and was passing it between himself and Clark Garrison, making his way steadily to the Ravenclaw goal end. Lily was following close behind at a safe distance, carefully dodging bludgers that were flying their way.

"Well, we're off to a rousing start," Remus was saying. "But I must say, Chaser James Potter isn't quite getting a piece of the action. In fact, he seems to be holding back a lot. Usually Potter is the first one have a Quaffle, yet he hasn't even touched it today. I certainly hope that changes in a bit, because Gryffindor can use all the points we can get. The Ravenclaw team had had a good season this year, losing only once, and they definitely have their game together today."

"Hey, Lily," Parker said, pulling her scarf down to reveal her mouth. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What about?" James mumbled, eyes avidly watching the game.

"I-I need your opinion on something."

"Oh, come _on!_" James yelled, flailing his arms around wildly. Ravenclaw had scored again, leading Gryffindor by ten points. "WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU, LAWSON? YOU'RE KILLING ME OUT THERE! BLOCK THE QUAFFLE WITH YOUR HEAD IF YOU HAVE TO!" James cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "_BOO! YOU SUCK!_" at the Ravenclaw team as they did a victory lap. "WHY DON'T YOU GO BACK TO YOUR BOOKS, YOU DIRTY LITTLE POINT-DEXTERS!"

"Lily?" Parker prompted, studying her strangely. "Are you _sure_ you're alright? You've never been this into a game, before."

"So I've taken up a new interest."

"Anyway, Lily," Parker continued. "I need your advice."  
"Can't it wait?" asked James impatiently, turning to her with an irritated look.

"It'll only take a second, I promise."

James bit his lip and made a whining noise in the back of his throat, giving one last wistful look at the game before he said edgily, "Alright, but make it quick."

"Okay, it's about Sirius." James breathed out in a huff and closed his eyes; this surely wasn't going to be as short a conversation as she guaranteed. "D'you think I'm being dishonest about the whole thing?"

"YES!" James shouted, pumping his fist in the air. He had completely ignored what Parker said, because Garrison had just gained Gryffindor another ten points. "That's more like it! THAT'S RIGHT, GRYFFINDOR! KICK SOME SMARTY-ARTY RAVENCLAW ARSE!"

"Lily?" Parker said, trying to get his attention.

James turned to her with a dazed expression on his face. "Sorry, were you saying something?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering if you think I'm being dishonest with this whole Sirius situation. Kate said she thinks I should just drop the act and admit to Sirius that I like him. What do you think?"

"Well it's not like it's completely difficult to tell," James told her, rolling his eyes in an exasperated fashion. "I figured it out a while ago. Honestly, Parker, for someone trying to play hard-to-get you're sure not very subtle sometimes. YES! NICE BLOCKING, BARRY! TAKE THAT YOU NASTY LITTLE BUGGERS!"

Parker frowned and buried her hands deep in her pockets. "It's not that I'm trying to play hard-to-get," she explained. "Personally I think that's a waste of time."

"Oh, look who's talking," James quipped sarcastically.

"No, I mean it," Parker insisted. "I'm really not trying to play hard-to-get. It's just that I'm not like one of those girls that'll throw herself shamelessly at every boy she sees, and I don't want to be treated like one."

"What do you mean?" James queried. Then he shouted, "SIRIUS! AIM FOR THEIR KEEPER! _THEIR KEEER!_"

"I mean that when I go out on my date with Sirius, I don't want him to treat me like a….like some…"

"Tart? Tease? Whore?" James supplied.

"Yes, exactly," Parker said, looking worried. "I don't want it to be like, you know, treating me like a lady on Saturday and then come Monday acting like he doesn't know who I am. And unfortunately, Sirius isn't exactly a stranger to doing that," she added darkly under her breath.

James sighed and tore his eyes away from the game, figuring perhaps if he could just tell her what he thought now, Parker would leave him alone. "Listen, Parker," he said, looking at Parker intently. "I know Sirius isn't exactly one to stay in a long relationship, but I know him, and I know that if he really likes someone he won't mess it up. Not too badly, anyway. I mean, there was that one time in fourth year when he screwed up big time with that one girl, uh, Tammy was her name. He wouldn't shut up about her for days. But, really Parker, that was one time—twice, tops—but honestly, other than that you have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, thanks," she said faintly. "It's just that, I've liked him for a long time. And if I'm really honest, I have to say I'm looking forward to this date. But I don't want Sirius to know that or he'll get a bigger head."

"That's great." James turned his head over to the game again. It looked like things were getting dirtier and more intense. Sirius and Jill were beating bludgers at people much quicker than when he last paid attention. "Hey," James said to a boy on his right. "D'you know the score?"

"30-60, Ravenclaw, "he replied dully. "I have no idea what's going on with Potter today. He's only had the Quaffle once, and that time he dropped it."

"Oh bugger," James muttered, running hand through his hair.

"Hey, Lily, what do you think I should wear?" Parker asked. "What about that black shirt and blue dressy trousers?"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE _KIDDING _ME!" James yelled, banging his fist on the banister. "FOUL! _FOUL! _C'MON, REF, PAY ATTENTION! COULD YOU NOT SEE THAT THE CHASER WAS FLACKING? HE WAS _FLACKING, DAMMIT!_ EVEN I COULD SEE THAT MOVE UP HERE AND I'M BLIND AS A BLOODY _BAT!_ "

"Or maybe the cute pink top with the white skirt, yeah?"

"OY, MEATHEADS! WHY DON'T YOU STICK YOUR NOSES IN A DIFFERENT BOOK FOR ONCE? THE _RULEBOOK _WOULD BE A NICE CHANGE!"

"Oh, even better! I have a new black shirt that's off the shoulder with a—"

"Parker," James interrupted, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her gently. "I don't mean to be harsh, but there is a Quidditch game going on out there while you're talking to me. You are causing me to miss _vital information_. Further more, I couldn't give a damn about what you wear. You could wear a polka-dotted ostrich costume and I couldn't care less. Now, I'm begging you, could you please, _please_ wait until after the game to talk to me?"

Parker looked affronted. "Fine," she sniffed. "See if I help _you _next time you have a date."

"Thank you," James breathed in relief. He looked back to the Quidditch pitch, leaving Parker to scowl at his back. He scanned the air until he found Lily, floating stationary next to Brian. "Come on, Evans, get in the game," James whispered to himself.

That was exactly what Brian was saying to Lily out on the pitch, but he was saying it a lot louder than whispering.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he demanded. "You haven't even touched the Quaffle, James! This is not supporting your team at all!"

"Sorry!" Lily said defensively. "I guess I'm just a bit out of it."

"That's not what I want to hear, Potter," Brian said severely. "You had better get you're arse in the game. Don't make me bench you for practice." With that said, he flew off to try and steal the Quaffle from a Ravenclaw chaser that was rapidly making her way to the Gryffindor goal.

Lily let out a frustrated sigh. "I am so done with this bloody sport," she muttered under her breath. "Never again will I touch a broom."

It was hard enough keeping up at practice, but being in the game in front of a screaming crowd was a different thing entirely. Up until now Lily was playing it safe, following the other two chasers enough to make it look like she was really trying to get the Quaffle, and sometimes pretending to guard a chaser of the other team. At one point she had actually caught it when Brian threw it to her, and held it briefly before she dropped it…right into the hands of a Ravenclaw positioned under her. Needless to say, Brian hadn't been very happy. She had even caught a few angry looks from her teammates. Sirius had flown over and asked if everything was alright, looking confused more than worried. He was sending her curious looks every now and then.

Lily took a deep breath. It was clear she couldn't stay in the sidelines, so to speak, without arousing more suspicion, if not anger. She had no other choice but to start to play. And here came her chance.

Garrison was rapidly coming towards her with the Quaffle. "Hey, James!" he called. "Catch!" He tossed her the ball and Lily caught it with both hands. Momentarily delighted with this accomplishment, she tucked it under her left arm and held onto the broom with her right. She leaned forward slightly and picked up speed. Brian appeared at her side, holding out his hand for the ball. "James, here!" Lily lobbed it at him and he caught it deftly. "James, be prepared," Brian ordered. "Fly away from me about ten feet, but keep up. I'm going to pass this to you. Get ready." He accelerated and flew ahead, letting Lily linger behind him a little. _Well, _she thought with a satisfied smile. _That wasn't so bad, was it?_ "James!" Brian yelled. Lily flew faster to where Brian was waiting and held her arms out, signaling that she was ready to catch the Quaffle. Brian threw it to her. "Make a goal!" he commanded. "Sirius will guard you." After a moment's hesitation Lily hurtled towards the Ravenclaw goal post, slow at first, but gaining speed. _This is it, _she thought. _I'm going to make a goal…I will not freak out… _She saw Sirius send a bludger in the direction of a Ravenclaw chaser, but he missed. Biting her lip, Lily pressed the broom a little further. She was closing in on the goal and could see the keeper flying back and forth, getting ready to make a save. Just when she was getting ready to pull her arm back, Lily felt a strong jerk. She whipped her head around and saw another chaser give her broom good kick. Lily dropped the Quaffle in surprise and grabbed her broomstick to keep her balance, and the chaser instantly snatched up the Quaffle and headed in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" Lily exclaimed. "You can't do that!" She turned to the Ravenclaw keeper. "Can he do that? Isn't that illegal or something?" The keeper ignored her and Lily kicked her leg through the air angrily. "Dammit, I almost had it, too!"

"James!" Garrison yelled. "Get over here, we need you!" He and Brian were both flying on either side of the boy who had stolen the Quaffle and were trying to earn it back. Swearing under her breath, Lily made her way over to where they were to help out. A Bludger whistled through, passing right in front of her nose, causing her to halt abruptly.

"Excuse me?" she shouted at the beater. "What's the matter with you? Are you trying to kill me? Bloody hell, one would think you were trying to knock me off my broom or something!" The beater just laughed and flew off. "How rude," Lily muttered, scowling deeply.

"JAMES!" Garrison and Brian bellowed in unison.

"ALRIGHT, I'M COMING!" Lily shouted back. She started to glide her way over, muttering angrily under her breath. "I was just nearly knocked out by a Blodger, and you'd _think _I could get at least one minute to catch my breath!" The Ravenclaw chaser tossed the Quaffle to his teammate, and Lily took off after him immediately. Lily slowly began to gain on him, and stretched out her hand. When she was close enough she hit the ball with her fist, popping it out and picking it up herself. She couldn't resist making a face as she rushed on and passed him. She swerved to the side and flew closer and closer the goalpost, determined to score.

_This is a lot easier than I thought, _she thought gleefully. _They're not even trying to block me! _She was near to the loop on the left, now, and she pulled her arm back to throw.

It went in.

Lily squealed excitedly and clapped her hands. "I made my first goal!" she said in delight. "That was so cool!" She looked around, expecting to see smiles from the team, but got quite the opposite. Brian was turning red, not looking happy at all. Sirius and the rest of her team looked shocked. The Ravenclaws looked confused, but were laughing and exchanging amused glances. This could be right.

"What?" Lily asked aloud. "What's wrong?" That's when she heard Remus' voice.

"Uh, well," he said bewilderedly. "That's one for the Ravenclaw team, scored by our very own…erm, James Potter. Nice goal, Potter, but maybe you should score in the _other _team's goal next time. The score is now 70-30, with Ravenclaw leading."

Lily paled and her mouth dropped open. "Oh no," she mumbled, burying her face into her hands. "I can't _believe_ I did that!" Apparently, neither could Brian. His eyes were closed, and he was rubbing his temples and shaking his head, muttering to himself. He finally raised his had, looking more than a little upset, and signaled for a time out.

"And it's time out called by the Gryffindor Captain. Each team will get a five minute break." Both teams were flying to the opposite ends of the field, landing on the platform that lead into the locker room. Dreading what she was about to face, Lily followed them in.

Up in the stands James had gone insane when he saw Lily score the wrong goal, screaming himself hoarse, jumping up and down and flailing his arms around so much that he had actually elbowed Parker in the head. But now, he was hurrying down to the locker rooms, about to give Lily a small pep talk.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing out there?" James demanded as he paced back and forth. "Are you doing this on purpose? You must be doing this on purpose because I thought no one can be _that_ _bad _at Quidditch, but apparently you are!"

"Okay, so I'm no pro," Lily shot back at him.

"Evans, you threw the Quaffle into _your own team's goal!_ What exactly was going through your head? I'll tell you what, _nothing!"_

"STOP YELLING AT ME!"

"I'M NOT YELLING!"

Lily angrily got to her feet from the bench she had been sitting on. "You know, a little more support would be appreciated! You're not exactly making me feel any more secure. Besides, those Ravenclaw players play dirty!"

"Quidditch isn't exactly a tea party, Evans," James said scathingly.

"I know that! But they're mean! One of them kicked me," she added petulantly.

James rolled his eyes. "And did you kick them back?" he asked in a condescending tone.

"Of course not!" Lily said primly. "But I'll make a point of telling Madam Hooch."

"Telling Madam Hooch…!" James said disbelievingly. Then he sighed and shook his head. "Evans, what am I going to do with you?" he said tiredly. "Okay, this is what you're going to do. You're going to go out there and play the meanest you've ever played, alright? In Quidditch it is legal to give injuries as long as they aren't to the head or fatal. So when you go out there again—"

"Are you crazy?" Lily cried. "I'm not going back out there!"

"What do you mean you're not going back out there?"

"I mean I'm not getting back on that broom to make a fool of myself! I have no idea what I'm doing, you know that. I not going out there again, Potter, and you can't make me!"

"You don't really have a choice, Evans," James insisted, crossing his arms. "If you don't go out there, you're letting down the whole team, and I will not let you do that."

"C'mon, Potter, haven't I done enough?" Lily begged. "I went to the practices, I transformed into a stag, I spent the night with a _werewolf_. Can't you please give me a break? I'll make a fool of myself!"

"You're actually making a fool of _me_," James corrected. "And just so you know, I'll probably have to score at least fifty goals next time to make up for the mess you're getting me in."

Lily groaned and slumped back on the bench. "Please don't make me go out there, Potter?" she said, looking at him. "I can't do it anymore."

"Yes, you can," James said firmly. "And more importantly, you will. Now up on your feet. The timeout is almost over." But Lily didn't move, and just stared moodily at her feet. James sighed, thinking quickly. It was obvious Lily wasn't going to go out onto the pitch again with this plan. So he came up with a different idea.

"Oh well," he said, taking on a careless manner. "It was worth a try." Lily wrinkled her forehead. "I suppose I should've known," James continued. "I had a feeling you couldn't do it."

Lily raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really," she said lightly.

James nodded. "Of course."

"What happened to, "Relax, I know you can do it'?"

"First of all," said James, holding up an index finger. "I never said that. I said relax, but I never said the last bit. Don't make me sound like some holier-than-thou inspirational speaker, it's unnerving." Lily quirked a grin. "Second, that was all just a front. All just for show."

"Right," Lily said dryly. She got to her feet and walked towards James, narrowing her eyes at him. "Well, I think you're wrong, James Potter."

"Is that so?" James commented flippantly.

"Quite so. I'll bet I can score five goals by the end of the game."

"Now, Evans, let's not get ahead of ourselves, here," James chuckled. "Don't be unrealistic."

"Excuse me?" Lily said, scandalized. "That has to be the rudest, most inconsiderate—!"

"I'm just telling the truth," James said casually, holding up his hand in defense.

"Really? Well, then, we'll just see about that. You watch, I'll score five goals by the end of this game, at the _very least," _she added, poking him roughly in the shoulder. "And then we'll see who's realistic and not."

"POTTER!" Brian's voice sounded. "Let's go, it's time to get back out there."

"Coming!" Lily turned back to James with a haughty look. "You'd better get back into the stands, Potter. And pay close attention because I want you to be able to admit that you were wrong." With that said she grabbed her broom from where it was leaning against the wall and hurried out with rest of the team., James indulged himself with a secret smile and climbed the stairs back into the stands.

"Alright, Potter," Brian said tensely as they prepared to take off. "I sincerely hope you're feeling better, because if your behavior costs us the game, then—"

"I get it, Brian," Lily interrupted shortly, swinging a leg over the broomstick. "And you don't have to worry either. I'm feeling _much_ better." She turned to him, smiled, and pat him on the shoulder. "Let's play some Quidditch, shall we?"

"Hey, where'd you go?" Parker asked as James pushed his way back to the seat.

"I, uh, needed to talk to someone for a second," he said. "Not important." He folded his arms and looked out the Quidditch pitch, watching the teams take their places again in the air. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game was back in play.

"And we come back from timeout with the Quaffle in Gryffindor possession. Monaghan passes to Garrison, Garrison takes it back to Monahan, who lobs the ball to Potter. Potter's doing much better now. Perhaps it was just a bad moment. SIRIUS, LOOK OUT!" A Bludger was launched in Sirius' direction, and he moved just time before it collided with his shoulder. Instead, it hit him in the left wrist. "Ooh," Remus breathed, wincing slightly. "Luckily he avoided a more serious injury, but the Bludger has caught Black in the left wrist."

"Ohmygosh!" Parker cried, leaping to his feet. She craned her neck to get a better look. "Do you think he's okay? That was such a dirty move! There should be a penalty for that!"

James looked at her with an amused smile. "It's nice of you to be so worried, Parker," he said. "I'm sure Sirius will be very pleased to know you care so much about him."

Parker glared at him and sat back down. "Don't be stupid, Lily," she said, readjusting her scarf. "You know I'd be just as upset if it were someone else. I'm cheering for the whole team, and when one gets injured, the entire game is ruined."

"Oh, no! They're carrying Sirius off on a stretcher!" James exclaimed.

Parker gasped and was instantly on her feet again. "Oh, God, I'm going to see if he's okay."

James grabbed her hand, preventing her from leaving. "Relax, Parker," he laughed. "I'm just kidding. Look, he's fine. In fact, the game is already up and running again."

Parker scanned the teams for Sirius before sitting down again, fixing James with a stern look. "That was _not_ funny," she said bitterly. "It's nothing to joke about, Lily. What if he really was badly injured?"

"Then you'd be the first one in the Hospital Wing, Parker," James said seriously. "I'm sure you'd never leave his side, just like a devoted girlfriend should."

Parker scowled at him. "Shut up," she said sourly.

James grinned and went back to watching the game. Presently, a Ravenclaw had the Quaffle. There were two Gryffindor chasers on either side of him, engaged in a rough battle for the Quaffle. One of them was Garrison and the other was…James squinted to get a closer look. It was Lily, taking a swipe with her arm and bumping the Quaffle into Garrison's hands. "No way," James murmured. "She's actually playing dirty!" Of course, Lily still wasn't the best player, but there was definitely a change in attitude. "GO, GRYFFINDOR!" James shouted. He clapped his hands together enthusiastically as Garrison scored a goal, making the game 40-70.

The Ravenclaw keeper threw the Quaffle to his chaser, and the player took of rapidly for the other end. He did an overhead toss to pass the ball to his teammate. The Quaffle was about half a foot from his hand, but—

"I don't believe it!" Remus said. "The Quaffle is intercepted by Potter! He does an immediate about face and hurtles towards the goal. It looks like he's about to score and the Ravenclaw keeper is getting ready…Potter is looks pretty determined as he dodges a Bludger and closer in on the hoop…he tightens his hold on the Quaffle as the chasers are gaining on him…"

Up in the stands James was nearly going crazy with anticipation. "C'mon, c'mon," he chanted. "Damn, I can't see a bloody thing!" He looked around frantically and spotted the third year nearby looking through a pair of binoculars. Without hesitation James snatched them from his hands.

"Hey!" he said indignantly. "I was using those!"

"Sorry," James said hastily. "I need this more than you do." He looked at him apologetically. "Prefect business," he added regretfully. "You understand."

"No, I don't."

"Well, too bad," James snapped curtly. He put the binoculars to his eyes and focused them quickly, swiveling his head around to find Lily. When he did, James stopped and zoomed in on the situation that was currently taking place.

Two of the Ravenclaw chasers were rapidly getting closer to Lily from behind. She whipped her head around and pressed the broom to accelerate when she saw them gaining on her. One of them reached forward and grabbed hold of the end of the her broom, slowing her down, while the other flew to her side and made a swipe for the Quaffle. Lily yanked it out of his way and twisted around, shouting something in the direction of the other beaters. James thought it vaguely sounded something like, "A little help over here would be nice!" Sirius quickly aimed a Bludger in their direction. It nearly caught the chaser holding onto Lily's broom in the shoulder, but he ducked just before, freeing Lily to race towards the goal.

"And it looks like Potter's going to make it," Remus said, his voice laced with anticipation. "Ravenclaw's chasers have recovered from the Bludger interruption and are gaining on him…Potter's heading to the left goal…"

Lily was indeed swerving to the left. The keeper moved in front of it, shifting from side to side, ready to block the Quaffle. Lily clutched the Quaffle closer to her side as she moved closer and closer to her destination.

"Why is she going to the one that's being blocked?" James asked frantically. "The keeper is going to catch it, he's right in front of it!"

"'She?'" Parker prompted.

"I meant he," James said without missing a beat. He put the binoculars back against his eyes.

Lily was pulling her arm back and the keeper held his hands out to catch the ball. At the very last moment Lily jerked to the right and threw the Quaffle into the center hoop, which had remained unguarded.

"AND AN EXCELLENT GOAL MADE BY POTTER!" Remus exclaimed. "Great move, there, tricking the keeper like that. Not bad at all. This brings the score to 50-70, still Ravenclaw's game."

"Brilliant move!" James shouted, clapping his hands enthusiastically. "That was excellent! Great play!" His smile faded a bit into a confused expression. "Why didn't I see that coming?" he muttered to himself. "How could I _not _see that coming? It's not like it's a completely complicated move. I could've easily pulled that off…" He looked out onto the pitch and couldn't help but smile when he saw Lily taking a moment to celebrate, clapping her hands together and doing some odd victory dance that only involved her upper body. _I never thought she would have scored a goal, _James thought, shaking his head. _Evans is actually a quick learner. Persistent, too. Although this all partially had to do with her stubborn, competitive attitude, _he added, smirking and thinking of how he tricked her in the locker room. _And a bloody exceptional coach to train her, of course. _James chuckled at this thought and Parker turned to him curiously.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

James suppressed a snicker. "Nothing," he managed.

The game continued with the Quaffle in Gryffindor hands, Garrison's to be exact, with Lily at his left. They were passing it between them at a rapid pace as they flew to the Ravenclaw goal. As they neared it, Brian seemed to come out of no where. Lily tossed it to him and Brian easily put it through the hoop. The Gryffindor side of the stands cheered loudly.

"WOW!" Remus boomed. "60-70 with the Gryffindors quickly gaining on the Ravenclaw team. Nice work, you guys."

_ Now _this_ is what I call Quidditch game! _James thought, grinning broadly.

Brian had the Quaffle now. Lily was guarding him on the right, and roughly bumped a Ravenclaw when he moved in too close. "Ah, there's the temper of hers that I know so well," James said lightly, smiling wryly. "It took long enough for it to resurface." Lily signaled to Brian to give her the ball and she hurled it into the left goal.

"Excellent teamwork between Monaghan and Potter brings the score to 70-all," Remus announced. James put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. _Maybe I underestimated her, _he considered silently. He watched as Lily sharply elbowed one Ravenclaw in his side as he tried to steal the Quaffle from her and swerve to avoid another. Then she tossed the Quaffle into the goal.

"And thanks to the goal by James Potter, Gryffindor now leads in the game by ten points." Remus declared."

"I definitely underestimated her," James decided. _She may not be the fastest one out there, but I can't deny that she's improved…_ _a lot._

When the Quaffle was back in play it was in Ravenclaw hands. It looked like the team was getting serious now that they had seen Gryffindor catch up so quickly. Since the scores were now even, it was up to the seekers to decide who had the greatest chance of winning.

Right now, the Raveclaw chaser was making his way towards the Gryffindor goals. He took careful aim before chucking it into the goal. Or trying to, at least. Luckily, Lawson caught it just in time and threw it back to one of his teammates.

Suddenly the Gryffindor Seeker, Trisha Wiseman, went into a deep dive with the Ravenclaw Seeker on her trail.

"AND THE SNITCH HAS BEEN SPOTTED!" Remus yelled. " Both seekers are in a hot pursuit for it, and Gryffindor's Trisha Wiseman is ahead by a few meters. Randy Talon is speeding up, though…it's to close to tell who has the better chance of catching it…"

"C'MON TRISHA!" James shouted, leaning over the banister to get a better look. "GO, _GO!_"

Trisha was stretching her hand out just as Randy Talon, the other Seeker, was caught up with her. He too stretched out his hand and brutally bumped Trish with his shoulder. She regained balance quickly and pushed her broom harder to speed up, kicking the tail of Randy's broom on the way. While he tried to keep his stability, Trisha's hand closed around the snitch.

"TRISHA WISEMAN HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" Remus exclaimed. "GRYFFINDOR WINS, 210 TO 70!"

The Gryffindor side of stands went wild with cheering, and whistling. James was quite possibly the most excited of anyone there. He was jumping up and down and hugging the people closest to him, many of whom he didn't know.

"YES!!!" he shouted, arms wrapped around a fourth year's neck. "_YES!_ WAY TO GO, GRYFFINDOR!!! WOO-HOO!" He released the bewildered student and looked up. "I knew you'd come through for me." James turned to Parker and smiled. "What do you say you go congratulate 'em, Parker?" He raised an eyebrow cheekily. "I'm sure Sirius is waiting for you personally. Wouldn't want him be disappointed, would you?"

Parker just scowled and let James lead her to the Quidditch team.

James and Parker met Lily and outside of the Quidditch Locker room. "Hey," she greeted, shutting the door behind her. She couldn't suppress a proud smile.

"Good game, James," Parker said, grinning at her. She looked to the door absentmindedly, and Lily laughed.

"Sirius is showering, Parker. He'll be out in a few minutes."

Parker gave her a strange look. "Did I ask about him?" she said. "Did I even mention his name?" As if it was his cue, Sirius strode out of the locker room, his hair still wet.

"Hello, there," he said to Parker, smirking and leaning casually against the wall. "Did you enjoy the game, Parker?"

"I guess so." She met his eyes briefly before looking down at his wrist, which was wrapped tightly with a bandage. "How's your wrist?" Parker asked, carefully trying to keep too much concern from her voice.

Sirius shrugged and wiggled his fingers. "It's nothing," he said carelessly. "I just wrapped it, so it should be fine soon."

Parker frowned and took his wrist in her hands, pressing her fingers down gently. Sirius winced. "Sirius, you were hit in the wrist with a Bludger," she stated plainly. "You really should go see Madam Pomfrey."

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes. "Parker," he said exasperatedly. "I'm fine. Really."

"Stop being so hard-headed Sirius," she snapped impatiently. "It hurts and you know it."

"So what? It's just bruised. Quidditch is a sport that you can't avoid getting hurt in. It's not like you can just run to the nurse with every scratch and cut. _Girls, _honestly…"

"Well, excuse me for being concerned," Parker said, crossing her arms.

James snickered as Sirius retorted to her comment. He nudged Lily with his shoulder. "Let's go," he said. "I think we should leave them alone for a bit."

"If they continue this way, they're going to be as bad as we are," Lily laughed as the strolled away, leaving the bickering pair behind.

"Not nearly," James snorted. He stopped and turned to face Lily. "I must say, Evans, you really surprised me out there."

Lily grinned smugly. "I was good, wasn't I?"

"Well, actually, I was referring to how terrible you were in the beginning." Lily narrowed her eyes. "But you did improve greatly in the second half," James added hurriedly. "In fact, I think I owe you some money."

Lily shook her head. "Nah, I only made two goals."

"Three if you count the one you made in your own goal hoop." Lily snorted derisively and James chuckled. "But seriously, don't lessen the worth. Sure, you didn't make five goals, but look on the bright side. You now know how to play Quidditch. You're not bad at it either, when you get viciously competitive."

"Thank you," Lily said primly.

James laughed again. "Hey," he said, grinning at her. "We should celebrate that you didn't die. Let's go to the kitchens, I'll buy you a drink."

Lily gave him a look. "Potter," she said. "The stuff in the kitchens is _free_."

James shrugged. "Minor detail. It's the thought that counts anyway. So, you up for it?"

Lily contemplated the thought for a few moments before breaking out into a grin. "Sure," she agreed. "Why not? After all, I did do a bloody-good job out there. I deserve it, don't you think?"

James laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you did pretty well."

"I wouldn't be surprised if I replaced your position as soon as we switch back."

"I wouldn't go that far."

Lily smacked him on the shoulder somewhat playfully before starting off down the corridor. "Hurry up, Potter, before I change my mind." They were just about to turn the corner when Sirius seemed to come out of no where and tackle Lily.

"PRONGSIE!" he yelled, ruffling her hair. "Good job out there, mate. I was a little worried in the beginning, and I'm sure Brian was ready to tear your head off, but all that cleared up towards the end."

"Where'd Parker go?" James asked curiously.

Sirius waved his hand. "Ah," he said nonchalantly. "She called me pig-headed and stomped off in a huff. No matter, though. I know she loves me."

"Right," James said sarcastically.

"I think the entire house was ready to tear your head off, James," Remus added, walking up behind Sirius. He grinned wryly. "You're lucky you pulled your act together or you would have been shunned and kicked out of Gryffindor."

"Thanks, Remus," Lily snorted.

"You're welcome," he replied. He turned to James. "Hey, Lily." James nodded his greeting.

"So," Sirius said eagerly, rubbing his hands together. "I say we go to Hogsmeade to celebrate James' avoidance of becoming the new Hogwarts outcast. I think it's a good night to have a few drinks. Remus would be delighted to treat."

Remus threw him a cynical glance and snorted. "Remus will do nothing of the sort," he said flatly.

Sirius gasped, pretending to be offended. "What kind of attitude is that, Moony?" he scolded. "If I didn't know better, I would think that you didn't care about me and James."

"I don't care _that _much, Sirius." Remus and Sirius continued to argue, and Lily turned to look at James.

"I have no idea how you three get to Hogsmeade on a non-Hogsmeade weekend."

James chuckled quietly. "Well, you're certainly about to find out, aren't you?"

"Are you sure?" Lily asked uncertainly. "I mean, I already agreed to go with you down to the kitchens."

"And rob you of the hilarity of seeing Sirius drunk? That would be an extremely cruel thing to do on my part. Besides, I think this is exactly what you need. A night out with those two will definitely get you to loosen up a bit

"You're sure?" Lily said again.

"I'm a big boy, Evans," James insisted, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I even know how to feed myself and everything. I'll be fine. Go, have fun. Oh, but do you think you could bring me back a fire whiskey or something?"

Lily glared at him. "No," she said sternly. "It's illegal to drink underage and I refuse to be a part of it."

"Let's see if you're still saying that when you're wobbling your merry old way back to the dorms at three in the morning. Word of advice," James added. "I would cast a silencing spell over the Invisibility Cloak, if I were you. That way, when you're singing Christmas carols with Sirius at the top of your lungs, no one will hear you."

"No one will hear me because it isn't going to happen," Lily told him firmly. James just smiled and shook his head at her. "It won't!" she exclaimed.

"We'll see," James said cryptically.

Sirius turned to Lily. "Alright, Prongs. It looks like Remus is feeling a bit on the selfish side, today." He paused to make a face at Remus, who returned it with a stony glare. "So we'll have to pay for out own stuff. You ready to go?"

Lily took one last look at James. He nodded encouragingly. "Sure," Lily replied. "Let me just go change." Sirius nodded and started up the stairs with Remus, both chatting quietly. Lily turned to James. "Alright, I'll see you later, I guess."

"_Much_ later," James said with a smile.

"No," Lily corrected. "Probably in about an hour or so." James snorted quietly, knowing that would be further from the truth than Lily realized. "What are you planning on doing?"

"I don't know," James answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Probably just hang around. Maybe go down to the kitchens for a late brunch." Lily eyed him skeptically. "What?" James asked defensively.

"Nothing," she said. "Just don't do any lasting damage."

James quirked a lopsided grin. "Deal." He glanced at his watch. "Listen, you'd better go and get changed. Sirius is probably itching to go. He'll want to stop at Zonko's. You should check it out, you may find it interesting."

"Maybe," Lily said, heading towards the steps. "Later, then."

"Bye." James watched her retreating back and tucked his hands into his pockets, feeling a bit of disappointment forming in the pit of his stomach. _Nonsense, _he scoffed inwardly. _We were only going get a drink down there anyway. We could do it tomorrow. _James frowned slightly. Why should he care in the first place? "It's only because I can't go with them," he reasoned aloud. "I'd never miss a chance to go to Zonko's…that must be it."

James turned on his heel and went down the corridor leading to the kitchens, arguing with himself the entire way.

**End chapter 13.**

**Well, there you have it! I really hope you think it was worth the wait. There were a bunch of things I have to say about questions and concerns that I would like to take time to answering before you go on to review. **

**PLEASE DO NOT SKIP OVER THESE because I think they will answer a few things.**

**1.) ****Chess thingy**

Okay, the real deal is that I have NO CLUE how to play chess! It confuses me beyond reason. A friend of mine tried to teach me and so did my cousin. I just can't get how to play it no matter what. But anyway, sorry about the mix-up the rook and king and stuff. I'll try to remember those rules.

**2.) ****The question of James over-reacting with Derek kissing him**

Alright, I know that it is natural for someone to want to kiss you on a date. But the thing is, I don't consider it very wise to kind of _force _your mouth on another's when she (or he, or whatever) has obviously shown a disinterest. You know what I mean? It's a totally different thing when the other person wants it to happen, but when someone says no, whether it be through words OR body-language (and in James' case it was the latter), they mean no.

**3.) ****Hard times of being a guy**

Please understand that I know that guys also go through a hard time as a teenager, and that I am not someone who thinks that have it easy all the time. Unfortunately, I have **NO IDEA** what specifically boys deal with at the age of sixteen. Which is why I need to ask a favor of

**INDIANGURL AND COMPANY!!!**

(did that get your attention at all? grin) Since I know you have guy friends reading this over your shoulder every now and then, could you do a huge favor for me and ask them what tough stuff they have to deal with so I can sort of get an idea? Please? If they can tell me, make sure it's nothing too…detailed, since this _is _a PG-13 story. I assume you know what I mean… I _really_ do hope you know what I mean because it would be very discomforting for me to explain it. (oh, and a quick note to **PARKER: as a thank you to you and your friends for making me laugh (quite a lot), I do believe I can fit in a little something. Let me see…do you happen to be a fan of legs? If not, tell me what you have in mind and I'll see what I can do… just nothing between the neck and the belly button…giggle ;)**. Anyway, I would definitely appreciate anything they can do to help me out!

**4.) ****Last, not least, and most important: ROMANCE BETWEEN LILY AND JAMES**.

This one has been increasingly popular with reviews, which I completely understand. I do not plan on keeping this not-getting-along thing going forever, far from it, as it would get very old and cliché. In fact, I think it begins to change in this chapter. So see if you can catch it if you're perceptive enough! ;)

The thing is, romance is actually the part that I'm almost scared to write, since it will be a difficult to write something ridiculously over-romantic, and still to the point that it is still sweet and "aaaww!"—worthy. I plan to keep a small teasing thing going between the two, since it would be too abrupt and, let's face it—STUPID, for that to be cut out all together and be completely replaced by nicknames like "baby" and "love" and such. Instead, you will start to see more of a flirting thing going on between Lily and James. But you have to admit, no one can say this story has been completely without chemistry.

As I said, it is in the next chapter that the turning point takes place. It is also where things will begin to start winding down. Come on! You didn't expect me to keep Lily and James in the other's body forever, did you? dramatic sigh Yes, though I am saddened, this story does have to come to an end. I can tell you now that there will be no sequel (what would I write about since we all know how it ends up? I'm getting teary just thinking about the fate of our beloved characters.) But let's not talk about that now. The point is, it is after chapter fourteen or fifteen where Lily and James begin to sort of see each other in a different light, both platonic and more. And it also won't be too long before they're back into their own bodies. Actually, it's a lot sooner than I realized. And don't think that it will just end like that, either. No, no, it won't be _that_ fast!

So, just hang in there for the romance, because it's about to begin! And thanks for being patient and agreeing with me in not rushing things. That was one thing I refused to do from the beginning.

**And here are some important concerns that I have. **I made a split-second to write this decision after reading a few reviews. I feel like I really need to say some stuff on a less-than-humorous note. The following is only directed to a some of the readers, not all, in the case of some… _finicky_ reviews. I realize they could be constructive criticism, but I want to say something in response, because some of these things have been bothering me for awhile.

** 1.) First of all, here is a message so important that I shall put it into caps. I AM NOT J.K. ROWLING. **I cannot stick to every single detail that the brilliant author has written. It does not mean that I haven't read the books, but it does mean that I will not spend time have worrying over small things. I.E, "why I don't have the fat lady as the portrait because portraits don't age and etc" (none of you really told me that, but it's something I heard from a friend). I don't mind things like James's hair being black because that really was a mistake. I don't mind things like that because it's something that I should have remembered, as it is mentioned many times in the books. I hope I'm not giving mixed messages when I say go ahead and keep your thoughts and concerns coming; I just ask that you don't focus on petty things.

2.) **I AM STILL A STUDENT; THEREFORE I AM NOT AN EXPERT AT WRITING. **I do have a beta, but every now and then I have "edited" (obviously not very well…blush) it on my own to save time. Sometimes I will have gone over a chapter like three times, and I _still _don't even realize some mistakes until I go back a read it a bunch of days later, and I think, "Oh my God, I actually wrote that?!" But by then it's already after the update and I have don't have the time to re-edit and re-post. I plan to go back and do a thorough job of fixing mistakes AFTER I am done with the story. As for now, I'll definitely do my best to pay more attention.

3.) ****This, I feel, is the thing that has been bothering(pissing me off, to be blunt) me most of all and for the longest time. For that reason, I'm not going to be diplomatic.** Do not, I repeat, _DO NOT_ lecture me on when I update. Now, to everyone reading this right now, I don't mean things like, "please update!" or "I'm going crazy!" or even "Hurry up!" And I also don't mind teasing either, they make me laugh. **I truly love those as they make me feel happy and also (sometimes) move me along. What I'm talking about is, "It's really mean and rude to leave your readers so long like this"; "If you keep doing this people will leave you," things like that which I have gotten few of. Here's the deal: As I stated above, I am still a student, at a very rigorous school may I add, and so is my beta. That means I have other important commitments (as does she), like homework to do, tests to study for, essays to write (often some of each category every night, no joke), and I'm sure all of you understand when I say that it takes a ton of time to do. Please believe me when I say that I _will not forget about my readers or this story_. I could never do that. At least I warn everyone by letting them know that it won't be for a while instead of just promising it'll be here by whenever. C'mon, give credit where it is deserved, people. But if you're fed up with AWIS and how I update, it's totally and completely your choice to stop reading, no problems here. Just don't lecture me. 

Now onto thank you's! Scroll down and find your name, I believe everyone is there. (INDIAN GURL, LOOK ABOVE IN CASE YOU MISSED THE **BIG BLACK** LETTERS.)

**Tine: **here you go!

**Misakichi1: **I definitely will!

**Swishy Willow Wand: **I couldn't put it better.

**Mythyn**** Dwen: **Thanks so much! The thing is, I'm REALLY bad at emailing people because its difficult to keep track of them all. But on the author page I do put that I updated (example: MAY 3: I Updated!). I Hope that works alright.

**Sangeeta**Actually, the switch isn't going to happen for a while yet, but hang in there.

**Sugarmouse**OMG! That was a very interestingly worded review—cool, really. Btw: I have never been more thankful for an ocean…grin

**Aly**sigh I agree greatly.

**Katrina: **Thanks! That means a ton to me.

**Lilypad-7879: **you are completely correct. **wince **I never even thought of that! blushes I'm so embarrassed for making such a mistake…

**Emrisah**Trust me, that review is **WAY **far from bitchy. I have gotten two that I really qualified as bitchy. Yours actually made me laugh!

**PiperBloom11332: **Thank you so much!

**Grand admiral chelli: **here ya go!

**Swoosh-98: **Don't feel sorry! I'm just glad you enjoy the story. And yes, James has had a few problems. This is why I'm lightening up on him a bit. I think he deserves a break don't you?

**Ruth3: **I thought I would have a problem with writers block, but I wrote this chapter a lot sooner than I thought I could. Enjoy!

**I like to ship: **Don't die! You would never find out what happens! Anyway, I actually have not written any others, but I do sort of have another in the works (you should be excited, you're the only one I've told!), but I'm not quite sure whether or not I want to post it. For one, I have to make sure I know where it's going, and two, I really want to have it done if I do post it. I've already started writing it, and it's EXTREMELY different than this one. It's a Ginny/Harry fic this time and definitely AU without as much humor as there is in this one You see, in _this_ story, Harry has been sorted into slytherin (I know, I know, not very original, but it's going my own way). His best friends are Draco and Blaise (boy), and Harry has his eyebrow pierced. But you see, even though a ton is different, not everything is. For instance: Harry still has a really bad temper, in fact, it's sort of what I play off of. He still has had a rescuing history and for that he gets teased by the other Slytherins. Nothing bad, just joking around. Snape still doesn't like him despite the fact that Harry is in his house, Harry does know Sirius is his godfather, but doesn't talk to him because he doesn't really know about the switching thing (Sirius still escaped from Azkaban);also, Harry still talks to Hagrid but doesn't let anyone know. Ginny plays into this because at one point Harry has to be tutored by her in a class (not sure which, but maybe charms) and eventually they get together. The catch is that they have to keep it secret and on the way, friendships get put on the line. So, as you can see, it isn't quite as light as this story. Like I said, I'm not sure I'm going to post it, but keep a look out if I do! Its going to be called **The Other Choice.**

**Leha**Can you get me one off the black market? smile

**Fawn: **I have no clue, to tell you the truth. I was at my godmother's house and she had them on the counter. Enjoy the chapter!

**Crystal109: **excited shriek **OMG!!! **That's quite possibly the best compliment I have received, because this is exactly what I wanted. I'm totally dedicating the next chapter to you (the next one because it's the one that I think you will like a lot). Enjoy!

**Whit 2FARgone: **EXACTLY! But _shhh__…_looks around nervously and whispers It's a secret!

**Amanda: **Here you are!

**Laurana**** Starbreeze: **I hope everything's alright…stay safe! Oh, and yes, you are right on point with your first guess! Good detective work! But no, they will not hug (yet) nor will they kiss (yet). I know just how they will switch back…but go ahead and keep guessing!

**PixieDust02: **Aaaaw!!! That's so sweet of you to say. Yes, I have gotten a few "I hope they switch back soon cuz its getting kinda confusing" or something like that. It makes me sad for a few seconds but then I think, oh well can't please 'em all. Besides, I focus more on awesome reviewers like YOU who are patient. And you have no idea how much I appreciate that. Thank you so much!

**Amy: **That is so nice! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

**Lily-girl-Marauder: **Thanks for your patience!

**Elvencherry07: **I totally hope you consider this just as funny as the last. Enjoy!

**Amanda: **Oh, there will be many more chapters to come, I promise.

**Slimpun**Just a quick question: Is your name suppose to be the opposite of the rapper Big Pun? Perhaps not, but it just hit me as a sudden thought!

**Montlake**Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I'm glad you liked it!

**Lover789: **Yeah, Derek will probably get more confused in a few chapters when the _real _Lily confronts him…in JAMES'S body!

**Beanysnake**I'm glad you like it!

**Annon**** Lee: **snicker yeah, I'm not quite sure where Derek's going to go. But certainly gets what's coming to him, I'll tell you that.

**Gryphonmistress**Hmm…lemme think…OH YEAH! There's one that I really liked called I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, then there's the sequel, WHEN DOVES CRY. I'm blocking on who the author is, but I'm sure you'll find it pretty quickly in the search thingy, cuz the titles are so original. And thanks for all your compliments, they made me feel special!

**Potter-Fanatic2: **Will do when I can! Thanks for loving the story!

**Stableperson: **Glad you've liked the story thus far. Keep reading!

**HPPheonix07: THANK YOU SO MUCH **for your patience. It means a lot to me to know that you won't forget about this because of the way school and life goes. Enjoy the chapter!

**Jaye**** Black: **Thank you so much! I actually have homework over the summer. How sick and wrong is that?!

**Lima Bean: **Wow…your enthusiasm completely overwhelms me! Enjoy!

**Lil**** gt wanna b Lily: **Hope you enjoy chapter 13. Is there a story of yours you would like me to read in particular, or do you just have one?

**Juxtapose: OMG!!! **I totally learned this word in vocabulary! And I'm so proud of myself that it is actually one of the few that I remember (it _does _mean 'next to'…right?). I'm so glad that you like the way things are coming along. As I have expressed, it is one of my pet peeves when lovey-doveyness happens right away. Don't get me wrong, romance will happen between Lily and James…but in my opinion friendship should always come first, even though there has been chemistry between the two. That way, when it happens, it will: A) seem more realistic and b) mean more.

**A.M.bookworm247: **AWWWWW!!! That is sooo sweet! It makes me feel really glad that I can make you laugh and bring you joy with my story. I hope it's the same with this chapter, too!

**Jeune**** Circe: **I completely understand and I will be very happy to answer your questions! Here ya go:

1.) WHEN DOES LILY HAVE A TOUGH TIME?

Okay, the thing is, I don't really know what guys go through during teenage years that can be considered hard for them (at least, nothing that can kept on a PG-13 level…grin), and I don't have a brother or guy friend I can go through. Which is why I have numerously asked readers if they can get the opinions of a guy they know or something, but I guess people have missed it or something. So, I have now gotten the attention of one of my faithful readers (you may have seen it above) because I know for a fact that about three of her friends read over her shoulder (very funny guys, at that). So I soon hope to get their answers and put it into my story with their permission. If you have anything to add to my investigation, I would totally appreciate anything you have to say!

2.) WHEN WILL LILY FEEL ATTRACTED TO JAMES?

Hmm…this is actually a tough question because I'm not quite sure myself. Romance is the thing that will be really hard for me to write because I have to keep it sweet but not overly sappy, at least that's my aim. OMG! I JUST HAD A COMPLETE BRAIN STORM…NO—A HURRICANE!!! I KNOW EXACTLY HOW SHE'LL ADMIT IT!!!! Thank you SO much, I totally give the credit of this idea to you, since I was trying to think of ways to answer your question at the time. It's not going to be a big deal or anything, but it will definitely get your question answered. I don't think it will be too long before it happens, though. We'll definitely find out!

I hope I answered your questions. If not, feel free to ask for clarity! Oh, and btw, This chapter was almost thirty pages. Is that long enough?

**Quadrantie**IT'S FINALLY HERE! I hope you like!

**Bohemian Pirate: **Glad you like the story. Enjoy Chapter 13!

**Icemint**gasp An inspiration?! … ….. ….I am actually rendered speechless…sniffle… …shaky breath …give me a moment, I will be okay…

**Lis**** Bleu: **I hope you notice a change in James's thoughts in chapter 13, and that they live up to your satisfaction. Tell me what you think!

**Jade-Radcliffe: **I hope you notice that James's thoughts are changing a little bit in this chapter. What do you think?

**Bebe-Chrissy**I hope you like this chapter!

**Notyraverageidiot**Will do definitely. And thanks for your support!

**Quizer**Not quite! I encourage you to keep guessing, and take the way Lily and James act around each other as a small hint.

**First Light of Eos: **Thank you soo much for your patience, it means more to me than you know!

**Tika**** Wayalan: **Two words right back: THANK YOU!

**LegallyRed**Yeah, tennis totally and completely kicks ass!

**Elanor**You're very welcome!

**Aspiring Shieldmaiden: **Oh, yeah, definitely and for sure! Plus, I'm going to do a segment with James getting ready with Remus and Sirius. He won't be so cool and confident then, let me assure ya. ;D

**Captain Oblivious: **Hey, you! How's it goin'? As to you're guess: you're right, but try to build off of that idea…one hint: PLATONICNESS!!!!! Oops… =O I guess that really isn't a hint, is it? I think I just gave away the answer, but oh well! You live in Hawaii! That is sooooo cool! I've always wanted to go there. Oh, and not only will I give you Sirius's pants, but his Quidditch robes, too (you should feel special, because he just let me know that they were custom made, which means they have never belonged to anyone else!)!

**pInKpILo6: **Thank you so much! Yeah, meaningless funnyness would probably just seem silly, so I try to fit it in where it works!

**Moonlight Kisses: **I'll try, but I truly cannot make any promises.

**Ms.Marvel**Thank you for your forgiveness!

**Clothespeg****-rules: **I hope you laugh some more in this one, too!

**Tara Star: **WOW! You're the VERY FIRST person who has told me to sit back and take a breather! I'm actually very surprised you say that because I generally get the exact opposite. It means a lot to me that you say that because you understand the wait. Thank you so much!!!!!!

**MPPSexxySiriusJamesRemus: **Enjoy!

**KrAzYkEwLgUrL: **I'm glad you will!

**Angloechen**Read the long explanations to above to answer your question.

**Limbo-gal: **Thanks, and I will. Enjoy the chapter!

**eruve tinwen: **Awww…that's so sweet of you!

**Mika-mitch: **Yes, they absolutely fantastic. I strong suggest you try some if you ever find any!

**Georgentosser: **I'm glad it fit your fancy!

**JiNglebellz: **sigh yes, let us commiserate together.

**J.E.A.R.K.Potter: **I hope you like it!

**P.V Bookworm: **Yes, I promise there will be many more threatening lines coming from James AND lily! The thing about chapters is that they have to end in the right place. So I wouldn't want a random cut off be the end, ya know? So I just write and write until I feel like I reached the end, and if it's too long, then I find a different point and split the chapter into two parts.

**Suji**Like I said to another reviewer, I'm not making any promises on reviewing quicker, but I will certainly try my hardest!

**Crimson Girl: **Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

**Allied-Inspiration: **I am proud to say that I have no clue whatsoever about chess or anything to do with it. But I really hope to learn!

**Cereza****-Fleur: **Here ya go!

**Elixia**** Dragmire: **University? Cool! Yeah, I'm very excited to begin college in two years. I can't wait to be far and away from high school. Oh, and I really like your new name! Very original and mystical!

**Red-Emerald: **Yes, making up words is an excellent pastime when I'm bored in classes. And I'm glad you like the story!

**DarkFlower2113: **Sorry for the errors! I tend to type really fast, and don't realize that I didn't make errors until I go back and read them. Have fun with Chapter 13!

**Biach**Yeah, I know, but at least I generally tell people beforehand that it's gonna be awhile. That's something, right?

**BurningIce22: **Will try to do!

**Amandinka**Oh, I promise the end is nowhere near.

**Littlx1: **scandalous gasp I would _never!!!!_

**Swimwiththestars**Tell me what you're thinking!

**Mintytoothpick**IT'S FINALLY HERE! Enjoy chapter thirteen!

**Angelbud2233: **I hope you like the Quidditch scene just as much as that!

**sophianwin: **Yeah, I'm REALLY excited to write the scene in Lily's reaction about what Derek does. I think it should be coming up in chapter…15-ish.

**Sparklypiggy**Just read it when ya can.

**LuluIsALobster**I love lobster! Especially when you dip it in a combination of butter and lemon juice…mmmmmmm, delicious….

**Astareal**I truly and seriously consider that an honor! Oh, and on Parker's date with Sirius, I haven't had much time to think about it, but I'm sure she's gonna loosen up a bit and have some fun!

**Autumn Darkness: **pensive expressionI don't know…I sincerely hope she wouldn't too, but sometimes people can be so excited about crushes that judgment is impaired. But Lily's a smart girl, and I'm sure she wouldn't let Derek cross the line (though she probably wouldn't react as violently as James did…then again, her reaction is gonna be pretty violent when she confronts Derek ['lil sneak peek for ya!])

**Tinkerbell07: **Awww…I love you too!

**Smokeline**bows head humbly yes, I must admit, I have been drawn in by the pistachio.

**Painterchica**Enjoy!

**Acid Pop: **Oh, wow, I am seriously impressed! I can't sit down for more than an hour or so before my butt gets numb.

**Blip Dragon: **I hope you liked chapter!

**NiGht-aSpirit**Enjoy chapter thirteen!

**Plumkin**Awww…That's so sweet of you to say! And I definitely will.

**Ketchupqueen13: **You know, that class really should be available in high school and middle school. It would be unbelievably helpful. It would be so much fun, too! I can see it now: instead of adults teaching, teenage boys could teach the girls, and vice versa. Doesn't that make much more sense? That's a great idea you had! I encourage you to spring the idea to your teachers and see what they say. Maybe it'll be a club or something! GO FOR IT!

**TeenTypist**Yes, if I let every reader at Derek right now, I don't think there would be much left of him…smirk

**Honey-gurl: **here ya go!  
**Irish Silhouette: **Aww…thank you so much!

**Awezome1: **I swear, my instant reaction to the things you listed was sticking out my tongue. The second one was laughing uproariously because it was so ridiculous! Was it one of those unbelievable cheesy ones, too? Ugh…shudder I hate those. And it's nice to know that you don't mind slow! But don't worry. I won't make this story one of those things that goes on forever and ever. But it will be kinda long...no more than twenty something chapters I should think.

**Rc-17: **I like both of those names! Does this one stand for anything?

**Kathryans**ooooo_kay_. point taken…again and again. You seem very blunt, so I'll be the same. While I appreciate you and your friends liking this story, I'm sure you can think of a better way of _encouraging_ instead of "you better update." Rudeness will get you nowhere.

**Puppy: **Well…since you said please, here's chapter 13!

**Blue Forest: **Yeah, I remember checking it under , too, where it does indeed state that he was a chaser in the interview with J.K.R. Thanks for backing me up!

**Smartypants**I SAID _BROWN_?! blush… Yeah, that's a HUGE mistake that I made. To tell you the truth, I can't remember saying his hair was brown, but that's usually how I make my blunders. Forgive me?

**Raquel: **Thanks!

**Queen Lela: **Sure, I'll do my best!

**Amanda!: **This might just be me, but I generally post again when the chapter is finished.

**Elladora**** D. Jobberknoll: **Yeah…sorry about that. Btw, did you come up with that name? I LOVE IT! Very original. It kinda sounds like it came outa Lord of the Rings!

**SeCrEt**** LiLy: **Ya know what? That's where I got the idea! I was sitting in church and thinking of Freaky Friday and then the thought just popped up!

**Vamperfly**Not a problem! It's not like I have a review police or anything, I don't mind when people skip a few times, mainly because I'm a terrible reviewer myself…sheepish grin  
**Ms. Runi: **huge smile thank you so much!

**Hannanora****-Potter: snicker **I just sorta write what I think is witty…I never ever thought it would appeal to this many people.

**Aspiring Sheidmaiden: **OMG! I love that idea! Can I have your official permission to use that? I'll even put in a rare disclaimer (I only use them when a reader gives me an idea because other than that, I find them pointless).

**FoxyGinny**You don't have to forget, it's here!

**MWPP Fanatic: **Oh my God, I just have to tell you that when I saw that emoticon (sp?), I got a confused look for a fleeting second before bursting out into hysterical laughter! I couldn't tell if it was a kissy face or man parts. I can't wait to show my friends and ask them what they think it is! Which is it btw? Don't think me perverted, but I saw it right after you mentioned the bludger incident, then my teenage imagination took over.

**MonkeyGurl1: **Thank you!  
**Possessed by Prongs: **Thanks, and cool name!

**Grand Admiral Chelli: **Don't die, it's here, it's here!!!!!

**Jaye**** Black: **I know, it was totally hysterical. I really liked the part where Harry was sitting up at night and Ron pops up with, "The spiders are telling me to tap dance, Harry, but I don't want to tap dance!" and Harry's like "You tell those spiders, Ron." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! That cracks me up!

**Mooncheese**Hmmm….I definitely like that idea! I don't know when it would be, probably not till they switch back, but is it still okay for me to use it?

**Celly**Yeah, that's something I was suspicious of as I was writing that chapter, but I couldn't remember. Sorry!

**Mione-xavier**Hey! In my defense I just want to say that I update every _half _century, thankyouverymuch. LOL!

**Hekate101: **I'm writing, I'm writing!!!!

**Lily Christie: **I'm glad you like the bit about Sirius and Parker, and yes, I am going to write about their date. I wasn't going to originally, but due to multiple requests, I changed my mind. As to your suggestions, I got a little confused over the animagi thing comment, but I guess I see your point. After reading it the tenth time it started to make sense…grin Snape, yeah, I know he's not in here. But I just didn't really have a purpose for him. Although, I guess I could fit him into one of Lily and James's conversations. Would that be alright? James being too perfect: I must admit, that's not the way I saw it. I thought of him as very immature, but maybe you're right. I could definitely put in some more faults. Could you give me a few suggestions? I don't think I'm going to write in anything about a lost family member, because knowing me I'd probably get to carried away with it, and it would take over the original plot. And the there's no pranking because I can't think of anything! I thought of James getting revenge on Derek, which I still _really_ want to do. If you have any ideas I'm completely open. Thank you so much for you input, it helped a ton!

**Inuyasha's Only One: **I LOVE THAT SONG!!!

**Through Darkness: **Thank you, I'm glad you like it!

**Padfootedhomersimpson**chuckle thanks, and I love the name!

**Akalea**Awww…thank you so much! That means a lot to me.

**buff200020002002: **Continue I will!

**SlippersRfuzzy**I love fuzzy slippers! I wouldn't have them any other way.

**WHEW!!! **And now, dear readers, it is time for me to leave you for now. I'll try my best to get Chapter Fourteen out when I can! Coming up (I promise this time!):

-Lily goes out with Remus and Sirius for some fun (and gets a lil' tipsy)

-James has some quality girl time at a sleepover (girls in nighties and pajamas…he certainly won't be complaining…grin)

-Derek (yes, the bad man is back) has a talk with his friend Anthony over what happened with Lily, and devises a plan.

**Until next time, **

**Spirit **


	14. A Night Apart: Part I

**A/n: Omg, I am so sorry! I blame it completely on writers block, junior year, and all the other busy-ness that has been in my life. I had no intention to leave you guys hanging for six months. So, for that, I apologize. Also, thanks to every single person that reviewed (OVER 1000!!!!). It really cheered me up, because I had a death in my family and it was someone really close to me, so thank you for all of you wonderful comments. Okay, here's the deal. This is actually half of Chapter 14. I decided to split it in 2 rather than making readers wait another month (most likely longer, knowing me), something to sustain you for a little longer. ;) I hope you like it. Personally I don't think this is the best one. I needed a few filler scenes to keep from making the chapter jumpy. Gimme your feedback! **

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**Chapter Fourteen: A Night Apart, Part I**

After the group had parted ways, Lily insisted on taking a long shower before heading into Hogsmeade to wash off the sweaty, grimy feeling that the Quidditch game had left her. Nearly an hour later she, Sirius, and Remus wandered their way around Hogsmeade, each armed with a pouch filled with sickles, knuts, and a few gallions. "Man, I'm _starving!_" Sirius declared loudly. He threw his arms around Remus and Lily's shoulders. "I think we should head to The Three Broomsticks for lunch first. What say you, lads?"

"Sounds great," Lily agreed. Now that the thrill of the Quidditch game was subsiding, the consequences of going without a good breakfast were hitting her hard. Nothing sounded more inviting than a good meal.

"And after that, we can head over to Zonko's," Sirius said.

"Followed by some time in Honeydukes," added Remus with a grin on his face.

"And then we can go back," Lily finished. This was met with noisy protests from both companions.

"_Go_ _back?!_" Sirius exclaimed, scandalized. "What the hell d'you mean by 'go back'? Surely not while we're still sober."

"C'mon, James, what's your hurry?" Remus asked. "It's not like we've got anything better to do."

"We have homework," Lily said. "Plus that really long—"

"Like the man said, Prongs," Sirius interrupted, smiling wryly. "We have _nothing better_ to do."

Remus laughed and clapped a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Relax, Prongs, we'll have plenty of time to finish everything by Monday morning. Somehow, you and Sirius manage to do it every weekend. C'mon, loosen up! If this is about how you played earlier, just forget about it. You pulled through in the end." Lily sighed and looked at the two boys at her side. _Why not? I'm allowed to have some reckless fun every now and then. _"Well, what are you standing there for?" she asked, grinning at Sirius and Remus. "Hurry up, let's go eat." With that said Lily made her way to The Three Broomsticks, deciding to forget all responsibilities she had for the rest of the day.

Back at the school in the kitchens, James did not have that luxury. Shortly after he and Lily had parted ways, he made up his mind to get a bit of his homework done while he ate. Presently, he was frowning deeply as he worked his way through a particularly tough Potions essay on the history of the heathstone. As it had to be the length of two and a half sheets of parchment, James was doing the two things that earned him such good grades on essays: 1.) make the sentences as long and as wordy as possible, and 2.) write large.

So far, he had about half a page to go. James placed the tip of his quill between his teeth and ran a hand through is hair. "Bloody hell," he sighed. "C'mon, a little more." He took a large bite from his pancakes and chewed thoughtfully as he searched through his textbook.

"_The heathstone is known as rare and unusual, mainly because of the way it is formed. One can only be created when the hairs of a unicorn are shed and fall among a patch of shale herbs. The magical properties of both are at their highest at night, but the hair loses a significant amount of power after being separated from the unicorn for twelve hours. It must rain during those twelve hours for the properties of the hair and shale herbs to blend, thus forming the heathstone."_

James snapped his book shut and hastily wrote the information down, making his sentences long enough that it filled up that space left on the parchment. Satisfied with his work, James flung down his quill and stretched. "Thank Merlin," he sighed. _Now that that's done, I'm sure I can leave the rest for tomorrow. _He rolled up his piece of parchment and tucked it into his bag. James checked his watch; it was one-thirty now. Feeling a wave of boredom crash over him, James exhaled loudly and drummed his fingers on the table. _What the hell can I do now? _he wondered to himself. _I don't really want to do anymore homework, but I may not have a choice…Or maybe that book on the life of Garret van Harden has been returned; I guess I could go check to see if it's in. _Deciding to do just that, James pulled his plate closer and took a bite from his food. A few moments later, a sudden thought hit him. "This is the first time that I've been bored in days," he mused aloud. _But then again, I _have _been around Lily Evans twenty-four-seven for nearly a week now. _A deep chuckle sounded from James's throat_. How could I possibly be bored around her?! Can never give me a moment's peace, that girl. She constantly needs me to calm her down during one of her breakdowns. She _never_ quits lecturing_ _me about everything I do… _James laughed again quietly as the image of a hot-tempered Lily came to mind, yelling and flailing her arms about. _Although I must admit, there are a _few _benefits to spending so much time with her. The bickering has been more entertaining; and I _am_ learning more about women and their bloody twisted ways, first hand. Not to mention, I've found out that Evans isn't always as uptight as she seems. _A small smile spread across James's face._ Well, maybe that's not quite right, but at least I've learned to loosen her up a bit. Evans definitely has room for improvement, but Hell, I'm up for a challenge. On the other hand, she can be quite the comedian (no matter how sarcastic) some of the time… _James's grin suddenly faded as a huge realization hit him. Now that he was thinking all of these things at once, he couldn't avoid admitting this comprehension to himself. "Unbelievable," he murmured. "I'm actually learning to enjoy her company." The side of his mouth curled up in distaste, James exhaled loudly and pushed his unfinished meal away. After a moment he stood to his feet, stretched, and left the kitchens to make his way to Gryffindor Tower. His original plan had been to read in the library, to take advantage of the quiet. But now he just wanted to grab his book and head for the Common Room; he was counting on the high noise level to distract him from his thoughts.

Back in the Three Broomsticks, Sirius lightly whacked Lily on the shoulder with the back of his hand. "Hey, Prongs, Moony" he whispered. "Check that out." Lily put her fork down and turned her attention to where Sirius was pointing. A few tables away, there was a small cluster of girls that were openly staring at them, and doing nothing to conceal their interest. When Lily, Sirius, and Remus looked over, they giggled and waved coyly

Lily rolled her eyes and took a sip of her Butterbeer. "Unbelievable," she said. "They have no idea how ridiculous they look. Have they no shame?"

"Apparently not," Remus replied, raising an eyebrow. One of girls left her seat to order a drink at the counter, and it was now visible that the robe she wore was very form-fitting. Remus gave a low whistle. "Wow."

Sirius craned his neck to get a better look. "They may not have any shame, but they _certainly_ shape," he quipped.

"No arguments here," Remus agreed.

Lily snorted lightly in the back of her throat at Sirius and Remus, who were staring blankly with their mouths slightly open. "Would it kill you to put eyes back into your sockets for a few minutes?" she said to them. The two boys paid no attention. "Could you at least blink?"

"Hey, look, James," Remus laughed, nodding his head towards the girls. "The blonde looks like she's paying special attention to you." Lily risked a look at the table. "Why don't you go say hello? Give her a little wave."

"No," Lily said flatly.

"Why not?"

"Why should I? Besides, she's not exactly my type," she added under her breath._ The main reason being that she _is_ a she. _On her right, Sirius was smiling very fetchingly, and rumpling his hair with his fingers in a way that would make any girl redden.

And Sirius knew that.

Lily grabbed his wrist and forced his hand back on the table. "Stop that!" she hissed. "They're going to come over if you don't quit it."

"Too late," Remus said, grinning slightly.

He was right. The girls were no long seated at the table, but were slowly crossing the room and making their way over. Lily glared at Sirius. "_Now_ look what you've done," she said irritably.

Sirius leaned back easily in his chair, looking smug. "No need to thank me, James, I'm sure this shall be payment enough." He raked a hand through his hair one more time before the young women arrived at their table. Lily folded her arms and sharply sucked in a breath. _Oh, God,_ she thought. _Here we go…_

One of the girls, the blonde one, pulled a chair from nearby and placed it next to Lily. Her three friends followed suit, seating themselves around the table. "Hey there," one of them said to Sirius, smiling coyly. "We couldn't help noticing you from over there." She held out her hand. "I'm Jessica."

Sirius accepted it and shook it gently. "Sirius Black," he said smoothly.

"You sort of remind me of a friend of mine," Jessica told him, "and I wanted see just how much you look like him up close."

Lily only _barely_ held back the numerous sarcastic comments threatening to break loose.

"These are my friends Nadia, Taryn, and Leila," Jessica continued. Her friends all said hello in turn. "D'you mind if we join you for a while?" _It would sort of defeat the purpose of asking since you're already here, _Lily thought bitterly.

"Of course not," Remus answered.

Nadia, the one closest to him, rested her chin in her hand and lifted her mouth into a small smile. "What's your name?" she asked him.

Remus turned a light shade of red. "Uh…" he stammered "Remus. Remus Lupin."

"And are you single, Remus Lupin?" Nadia ventured suggestively.

Remus coughed and laughed nervously. "Um…well, I…you know…have never really been in a long relationship…before…" Sirius gave him a sharp poke in the side with his elbow, and Remus coughed again. "I mean, yes. Yes, I am."

Taryn, the one closest to Lily, leaned nearer to her and said, "I suppose you're the shy one of the group?" she asked playfully. "Who are you?"

"That's my buddy, James," Sirius offered.

"James," Taryn repeated, smiling winningly. "I love that name. It suits you well."

"Thanks," Lily said shortly.

"What do you guys do for a living?" Leila asked them.

"Actually," Lily began. "We're all still—"

"—training as Aurors," Sirius interrupted easily. "It takes a _very_ long time, as I'm sure you know. But we are steadily climbing our way to success."

"Really," Nadia breathed. "Is it very difficult?"

"Oh, terribly," Sirius answered. He had taken on a troubled expression, but there was an unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes. "In fact, we're just relaxing now after coming from a particularly strenuous training course."

"Yeah, my cousin is an Auror," Taryn said. "He told me those things are really tiring."

"We had to do it over…Remus, how many time was it again?"

"Oh, five, maybe six or seven," Remus added carelessly. "I'm not really sure how many. I lost count."

"Actually," Sirius said, wincing and rubbing his shoulder. "I think I pulled my shoulder muscle…_Ouch! _Oh yeah, _definitely_ pulled a muscle."

"Oh, you poor thing," Jessica told him, massaging Sirius's shoulder gently.

"Don't worry," Sirius sighed miserably. "It isn't nearly as painful as last week, though, when I fell and twisted my ankle. Unfortunately, it's still a tad tender. On top of that, they made me finish the obstacle." All four girls expressed feelings of worry.

"Oh, I hope it wasn't too bad!"

"Did they give you the day off?"

"I can't imagine going through that every day."

"Maybe you should take a break."

"How long do you have until you're finished with training?" Jessica asked.

"Oh, about five years from now," Sirius answered nonchalantly.

"_Five years?_" Nadia echoed, looking at them in disbelief. "How long have you three been training?"

"Yeah, if you begin straight out of school then you surely you should be done by now," Jessica added. Then she squinted her eyes and studied Sirius closely. "Exactly how long _have_ you been out of school?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged anxious glances. Lily turned her head away, hand covering her mouth to keep herself from bursting into laughter. Sirius cleared his throat and regained his confident composure. "Well…" he began. "We've actually been out quite a while, now. A few years in fact. Right, Remus?" Remus nodded quickly. "However, unlike the normal graduate, we didn't decide to be Aurors until a few months ago. Before I changed my direction, I was studying to be a Healer."

Remus hurried to jump in. "And I was planning to…travel the world and become a master of ancient languages."

Sirius jerked his thumb toward Lily. "And our friend James here wanted to be a counselor. It seemed to fit him perfectly since he was known as the sensitive, understanding type, back in our Hogwarts days."

"_Ha! _Like Hell!" Lily blurted out before she could stop herself.

"And as you can see," Sirius continued, gesturing with his hand. "He has had a change of mind since then."

"So, you're older than all of the other students there?" Leila asked.

"Just a bit," Remus answered.

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty-one," he told her. Unfortunately it was at the same time when Sirius said, "Twenty-two." They glanced quickly at each other, with identical looks of dread.

"Uh, twenty-two," Remus corrected.

"Twenty-one," Sirius said at the same time. Remus glared at him as Leila, Jessica, Nadia, and Taryn gave them confused looks. Lily bit down hard on her bottom lip. _Oh, I'd like to see them work their way out of this one. _"Actually," Sirius attempted to explain. "I'm twenty-two, just turned, you see."

Remus caught on instantly. "And I'm twenty-one about to be twenty-two," he supplied.

"And I've got to get used to being twenty-two and saying that I'm twenty-two instead of twenty-one."

"And I need to stop saying that I'm twenty-two when I'm really twenty-one. About to be twenty-two. It's all very simple."

"Uh, yeah!" agreed Sirius enthusiastically.

"Well, I'm about to be twenty-one," Jessica commented. Then she smiled and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I think that's a healthy age difference, don't you?"

Sirius quirked the side of his mouth into a grin. "I'm sure it is," he said charismatically, making her blush.

Her friend Nadia checked her watch and announced, "I'd love to keep talking, guys, but it's nearly two-fifteen. We all have to get to work."

"Oh, damn, she's right," Leila groaned. "That's a shame; it was a lot fun."

Jessica stood up and put her chair back where it came from, and her friends did the same. "Well," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "It was great talking to you three." She turned to Sirius and winked. "Especially you," she added. Then Jessica pulled out a quill and scribbled something down on a napkin. "Here, this is my address. I'm connected to the network. Maybe you could Floo over sometime and we can pick up where we left off, yeah?" She lifted an eyebrow in a way that in no way suggested that they would be talking.

"I think I could do that," Sirius said, accepting the napkin graciously.

Leila smile regretfully at Remus and said, "I would give my address as well, since you're quite the cutie." Remus looked down, colored, and made a modest gesture with his hand. "But I'm connected, unfortunately."

"Boyfriend?" Remus asked her.

"Fiancé," she told him, showing him her left hand. "And it's sort of looked down upon to date someone other than him, since I am taken."

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Ah," he said solemnly. "Yes, that would be small setback, wouldn't it?"

"But I'm free," Nadia offered, grinning merrily. She handed Remus a small card. "You can use that any time."

Jessica hit Nadia lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon," she said to her, nodding in the direction of the door. "We can't be late." Turning to Sirius, she waggled her fingers in a wave. "Good luck with your training."

"Thanks! I'll see you later, and until then," Sirius held up the napkin she gave him, "I'll be keeping this very safe."

"I'm sure you will!" With a parting grin and a wink, Jessica linked arms with Nadia and rushed out of the door, giggling loudly the entire way.

"It was nice talking to you all," said Leila, then she ran to catch up with Jessica and Nadia.

"Bye!" Remus called after her.

Lily was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then she realized that there was still one girl left. Taryn was still by her side, reaching in her bag and yanking out her quill. Before Lily could react, her hand was being snatched away and written on. "I get that you don't talk much," Taryn said to her. "But maybe I could break you out of your shell with a one-on-one conversation?" Tossing her head, Taryn flipped her long hair over her shoulder and smiled. "You know, over coffee or something?"

Lily pulled her hand away as quick as she could without seeming rude. "Um…sure," she muttered, resisting the urge to wipe her hand. "Maybe."

"Great! See ya later then." With that said, Taryn hurried after her three friends.

When she was gone, Lily grabbed a napkin rubbed her hand vigorously. "Can you believe that?" she said.

"Barely," Remus said in awe, still staring at the door. "We just got hit on by older girls."

"Women, my friend," Sirius corrected gleefully. "Older _women._ I knew I was attractive, but I never realized the power of my own allure." He paused to consider what he had said, then shook his head. "Wait, no…no, I've always known that. You two haveme and my Sirius Charm to thank for those addresses you have."

Remus finally pulled his gaze away from the entrance. "Padfoot," he began seriously, mouth twitching slightly. "Never, have I _ever_ been so proud and grateful to have you as my friend. I mean that."

Sirius smirked. "Who's the man, Moony?" he coaxed.

Remus rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the smile spreading on his face. "You are," he admitted reluctantly.

"And _who _is the ultimate, most alluring being you've ever known?"

Remus's grin grew. "You are."

"And who's paying for my meal?"

Remus quirked an eyebrow in amusement as he crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly to the side. "You are," he answered in a definite tone.

Sirius shrugged and slumped down into his seat. "It was worth a try," he said sulkily.

Lily rested an elbow on the table and picked up her fork again. "You two do realize that you can't really follow through on what you told those girls? You know, about going over to their houses and stuff?"

"And why the hell not?" Sirius demanded. "I worked very hard for that information!"

"Sirius, you told them that you were twenty-one—"

"Twenty-two," he and Remus protested together.

"—and that you were training as _Aurors_ I still can't believe they actually bought that!"

"I am pretty good, aren't I?"

"And besides," Lily added, fixing Sirius with a stern look. "I thought you liked Parker. What about her?"

"What about her?" Sirius countered.

"Well, you asked her out, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and?" he said, looking puzzled. "We haven't gone anywhere yet, James, and she's not my girlfriend or anything like that." He paused to take a sip of his drink. When he glanced over the top of the glass and caught Lily's look of uncertainty, he explained, "Don't get me wrong, Prongs, it isn't that I don't like Parker. I like her a lot, as you've heard me say. But at the same time I'm not going to take things so seriously that I just stop everything I normally do." Then he grinned deviously. "And anyway, that would be terribly selfish of me, don't you think? There's more than enough Sirius Charm to go around."

Lily tried to glare at him, but it dissolved into a smile. "If you're sure," she muttered, shaking her head. Then she pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, I'm full. You ready to go, yet?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Cool," Sirius said. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bunch of sickles, and threw them on the table. "Let's head over to Zonko's, now. I think the new issue of _Zinger_ catalogue is out! I've been waiting for it to come out for ages 'cause I think they finally have some new products out from Galantino's Company."

"I know," Remus said excitedly, getting to his feet. "Did you hear about the breath mints that actually make your breath smell like anchovies for three days?"

"Yeah, plus, there's this one deodorant that will give you absolutely _horrible_ body odor!" Sirius raised his eyebrows, suddenly looking devious and crafty. "I think I'm going to use it on Peter."

Remus gave him a side-long glance. "Padfoot, that's not right and you know it," he said grimly.

"Oh, come on, what harm could it do? It's only for a little while."

Remus rolled his eyes, waving his hand carelessly. "Whatever you want to do, Sirius, just leave me out of it. C'mon, let's go." He and put down his share of sickles and Lily followed suit.

"Hey, Sirius," Lily said, pushing in her chair. "You've got something on you're cheek."

He wiped his face with the side of his hand. "Did I get it?" Lily shook her head, and Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin, rubbing vigorously on his face. "How about now?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Sirius tossed the napkin carelessly on the table. "Alright, I'm ready. By the way, have you two heard about that new drink Honeydukes is coming out with next month? It's supposed to have so much fizz in it that it lifts you off you a few inches off your feet with every sip…"

As they left the little café one of the waitresses started to clean up after them. She piled the empty dishes and glasses onto her tray, as well as the dirty napkins, not noticing the neatly written address that one of them contained.

In the Ravenclaw Common Room several students relaxed in their residence, and more than a few sulked over the loss of their game. In a solitary corner close to the fire two seventh years reclined in two plush blue chairs, working on their weekend homework. Or rather, _one_ was doing homework; the other was pestering him on about a somewhat touchy subject.

"C'mon, Derek!"

"What now?"

"You _know_ what! You haven't told me anything about last night! I want to know every single detail."

Derek sighed and rolled his eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that I might just want to keep it private?" he said coldly.

Anthony disregarded his friend's aggravated tone with a carefree laugh. "That's a load of bull!" he exclaimed. "Since when have you _ever_ kept this kind of thing private?"

Derek threw his quill down angrily. "Since now," he snapped. "It's none of your business, Anthony, so just drop it!" For a few minutes neither boy said a word, and the only sound that was heard was the harsh scratching of Derek's quill against his parchment. Finally, Anthony spoke up.

"You know," he said slowly. "You were awfully excited about this whole thing Friday afternoon. I'm surprised you're not spilling with details." When Derek said nothing, Anthony narrowed his eyes; his suspicions were increasing. "Unless," Anthony continued slyly, putting the tip of his quill on chin. "Unless there's nothing _to_ tell…"

Derek's head snapped up, a scowl etched into his features. "What the hell makes you say that?" he said dangerously.

"Oh, come on, Derek!" Anthony snorted. "I've known you for six years. Between third year and now, you have _never_ left out anything that's had to do with a girl. The only reason why that would change right now, after crowing about to everyone within earshot, would be that you have _nothing to crow about!_" Derek didn't respond, but his deepened scowl and firmer grip on the quill gave away the truth. "Ha!" Anthony shouted, pointing at Derek triumphantly. "Nothing happened, did it? That's why you're so pissed off! You were turned down by _Lily Evans!" _

Derek clamped a hand over Anthony's mouth, abruptly cutting off his hysterical laughter. "Keep it down, will you?" he hissed in a low voice. "Let the whole bloody house know, while you're at it!" Derek removed his hand and leaned back into his chair, glowering at Anthony.

"What's wrong?" Anthony taunted. "Are you afraid someone will hear you and your suave reputation among the ladies will be shattered? Guess your ego's been deflated now, huh?"

Derek cuffed him on the back of his head. "Shut up, Anthony!"

"Hey! Relax, mate! How bad could it have gone?" Leaning his cheek onto his hand, Derek gave him a dark look. "Ooh, that bad, eh?" Anthony said, wincing. "What went wrong? I thought you said the dinner in the astronomy tower was fool proof. It's worked before, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Derek muttered.

"Did you have the floating candles?"

"Yes."

"And the couch with the blanket?"

"_Yes._"

"And you did the star gazing thing, too?"

"YES!"

_"_So what went wrong?"

"I don't know!" Derek shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. "She was acting all weird through the entire night! I had brought a nice dinner of a steak and rice and she told me she was a vegetarian!"

"So?" Anthony replied.

"Nothing, but when she said it Lily looked at me like I had committed some sort of terrible crime, like I was the bane of her existence or something."

Anthony shrugged. "Well, that _would _be the logical reaction after giving meat to a vegetarian, wouldn't it? It's probably some sort of weird vegetarian sin or something, being offering meat, right? Maybe you unknowingly insulted her by tempting her, you know? I mean, it's probably the equivalent of committing blasphemy…or something along those lines…" Anthony trailed off, staring into space with an expression of complete perplexity. "Never will understand them vegetarians," he muttered, half to himself. "I myself come from a family of devout meat eaters…hell, if someone refused meat it'd probably be considered immoral or something…"

Derek rolled his eyes at his friend's babbling. "But it wasn't just that," he said, slouching deeper into his chair. "She treated me like I had the plague all evening. Every time I tried to touch her, she'd leap away as though I was going to rape her or something."

Anthony scratched the back of his neck, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "Did you do anything to offend her? Besides offering her meat, I mean?"

Derek shook his head. "No," he replied. Anthony crossed his arms and looked at Derek cynically. "What?" Anthony's expression didn't change. "Alright, so _maybe _I let my eyes wander a bit," Derek said defensively. "But it's not like I jumped her or anything." Again, Anthony raised his eyebrows at his friend in a knowing look. "Okay, so I sort of did! But she shouldn't have taken it so personally!" Derek told him. "Besides, most girls love it when I kiss them. Lily, on the other hand, completely flipped out."

Anthony was quiet for a moment before asking, "So, what happened after you kissed her?"

Derek sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "She got a little…physical," he said, shifting in his seat. "But not in the way I had hoped." Anthony nodded understandably. "Then, after a few words, she walked out on me. And that was the end of it."

"Why are you so upset about it?" Anthony asked. "You told me you didn't really care about her, so what's the big deal?" He paused before saying, "That hasn't changed or anything, has it?"

"Well, of course not, but I can't believe she turned me down!" Derek cried. "I have _never _been refused before!"

"You have now," Anthony murmured, a smirk playing on his face. Before Derek could respond, another classmate strode over and occupied the chair next to him.

"So, Thomas," the boy said. "What happened on your big date with Lily Evans, eh?" He tilted his head, grinning suggestively. "The word around the house is that you have quite the reputation for giving a girl a wild night. So, what did your charm accomplish this time, hm?"

Anthony folded his arms again, regarding Derek with raised eyebrows. "Yes, Derek, do tell us," he challenged innocently. "What _did_ your charm accomplish this time?"

Derek scowled briefly at his friend, before turning to his housemate and putting on a smirk. "Now, Connor," he said smugly. "We all know that it is considered _most_ ungentlemanly to talk about the extent of one's relationships."

"What gentleman?" Connor retorted, looking at Derek as if he were insane. "I know you're all polite and stuff when it comes to the girls, but when among your own you are anything _but_ a gentleman. So don't start gettin' all _proper _on me, Derek, and tell me what happened!"

Derek paused, both for dramatic effect and stalling time. "You really want to know what happened with Lily, then?" he asked his housemate.

Connor titled his head and heaved a sigh, giving Derek an exasperated glare. "Now, what gave you _that _idea?" he remarked scathingly.

"Alright, fine" Derek told him, the traces of a devious smile on his face. "I'll have to warn you, Connor; there are a few things that just can't be described in words."

Connor's eyes glittered, containing a hungry flicker. "Ooh, she was that good, eh?"

A passing fifth year overheard Connor's question, and immediately came to a halt. "Who was good?" he inquired eagerly. "Who are you talking about? I want to know!"

"Lily Evans, a sixth year in Gryffindor," Connor replied excitedly. "Derek here had a date with her last night. Apparently, she has wild streak hidden behind that studious image."

The boy quickly grabbed a chair from a few feet away and plunked it down next to Connor. "Well, you know what they say; it's the quietest ones that are the best at…well, you know." He leaned close to Derek and lowered his voice. "Is it true, mate?"

Connor snorted. "If you can't even say the word '_sex'_, then you are obviously not meant to take part in this conversation, _young' un,_" he added mockingly as he ruffled the boy's hair. Connor just laughed when his hand was slapped away violently.

Derek looked around at his small audience before catching Anthony's eye. Anthony returned his gaze with a penetrating look of warning. Derek just acknowledged it with smug grin and a defiant lift of an eyebrow, before leaning lazily into his armchair and beginning what would turn out to be a very elaborate and tall tale.

"Hey, James, smell this!" Sirius thrust a small square card under Lily's nose and, because there was no warning, Lily automatically breathed in the scent.

"Oh my _God!_" she shrieked. Lily doubled over and squeezed her eyes close, covering her nose with both hands. "What the hell are you trying to do, poison me? What is that?"

"It's a sample of that deodorant I was telling you about. Isn't it great?" Sirius laughed and waved it through the air.

Lily grabbed his wrist with one hand, and pinched her nose shut with the other. "Stop!" she complained. "I feel sick enough as it is. Please don't contaminate what little purity that's left in the air."

Sirius took one last tentative sniff and slipped the sample into his pocket. "Man, people will drop like flies when Peter walks around smelling like this."

"You'll be lucky if they don't drop dead," Lily retorted, wiping at her tearing eyes.

In fact, there were a lot of things that could make a person drop dead in Zonko's. Lily came very close to having a heart attack when Remus handed her a plastic tarantula that suddenly sprung to life in her palm. Then Sirius gave her a small candy that Lily had stupidly put into her mouth without question, which made the inside so hot she breathed fire (luckily missing a shelf, or else she would have had a large bill to pay). But in spite of the slight sense of danger, Lily couldn't help but having a good time. After her heart rate went down from the shock, she could easily picture herself buying a whole bag of plastic insects to place in Parker's bed. _Hmm…_ A small grin crossed her face before she grabbed two plastic spiders and threw them into her basket.

"Hey, Prongs!"

Lily didn't answer straight away; she was too busy peering curiously at what seemed to be a shape-shifting, jiggling mold of jell-o that actually crawled away when touched.

"James!"

Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust as she watched the "jell-o" slide away. _I swear, I'll never eat jell-o or pudding again…_

"_James!" _

Lily started and turned in the direction from where the voice had come. "What? Sorry?"

Remus heaved an exasperated sigh and slightly lifted his arms, which were full of Zonko's merchandise. "A little help, here?" he pleaded.

"Oh, right." Lily hurried to grab a basket and held it out while Remus dumped his items in.

"Thanks," he said, taking the basket from her. "I thought I was going to only buy a few things, but I guess I was wrong."

"What's it all for?" Lily asked, frowning slightly and glancing down at all of the products. "I always considered you the most mature of the group."

The side of Remus's mouth twitched into a smirk, which gave him an uncharacteristically devious appearance. "That may be true, mate," he told her. "But remember, considering that neither you nor Sirius hardly acts your age at all, the fact that I'm the most mature out of us three _really_ isn't saying much. The only significant difference between us when it comes to maturity is that I usually don't make a fool of myself due to immature behavior. I, unlike you and Sirius, like to keep my childish side among people I know. "

As if on cue, there was a loud, disgusting, farting noise from a few behind them where Sirius has been sitting on a small chair. Every customer in the store turned to look at him as he leaped out of his seat as though on fire, and stared down at it in shock. Sirius raised his head and looked around the shop in horror.

"I didn't do it!" he exclaimed hurriedly, hands lifted in defense. He pointed frantically down at the seat. "It was the chair, I swear it!" All he received were looks of doubt and disgust from all sides. The only exception was the employee on duty at the register, who was bent over with his face hidden in his arms, and had his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. He obviously was very aware of what the chair had done, but he made not attempt to convince the customers.

Sirius, on the other hand, was still trying to convey his innocence. "Seriously!" he said earnestly. "The bloody thing did that as soon as I sat down!"

A young man nearby snickered and nudged his friend with his elbow. "Pathetic," he murmured arrogantly to his companion. "He can't even think of a good fabrication. A five-year-old could do better."

Sirius heard the comment and rounded on him, his eyebrows drawn together into a fierce scowl. "If you're so clever why don't _you_ sit on it and see if you can think of a good explanation for a _farting_ _chair_, smart-arse?" he challenged crossly. The boy just looked down at Sirius with a condescending sneer before walking away. Sirius's scowl deepened and he glared down at the chair which had caused him so much trouble. "Sodding piece of crap," he muttered, kicking at it furiously. Then he looked up and caught the stares from Lily and Remus, which clearly showed their efforts to conceal their laughter. He crossed his arms defiantly, in a weak attempt to maintain his some of his pride. "What?" he demanded, shrugging and trying to appear nonchalant.

Remus just smiled, shook his head, and turned back to Lily. "And that, my friend, would be the proof of my point." He laughed softly and strolled up to the front counter to purchase his items.

**A/n: And on that note, I'll try as fast as I can to hurry along part II! Any suggestions I'm totally open to! **

**Until next time, **

**Spirit**


	15. A Night Apart: Part II

**THIS IS UN-BETA-ED! **More explanations in the AN at the bottom.

**Chapter 15: A Night Apart, Part II**

_I can't believe we've been here for so long, _Lily thought as she glanced at her watch. _The time has gone by so fast. _It was now 8:30, and she, Remus, and Sirius had spent all day in Hogsmeade Village. After leaving Zonko's, each with a fair share of merchandise and a catalogue tucked away, Lily insisted on visiting the local bookstore, The Noble Niche.Sirius protested profusely, but he soon ceased when he noticed the book on display, "1001 Excuses to Tell Your Professor: All Situations Included (fine print: All situations purely hypothetical. Brookhouse publishers are not responsible for any negative response and or outcome of your personal situation). Sirius couldn't resist snapping it up.

"Aw, Sirius, I can't believe you're buying that trash," Remus had bemoaned. "You _know_ we could all come up with anything better in that thing."

"Why not? It's not that much, only eighteen sickles. And you can't afford to run out of excuses, Moony, especially when you're in as much trouble as me and James. I'm sure it'll come in handy when I get into an unexpected fix."

Sirius nearly had the opportunity to put the book to use twenty minutes later when they spotted Professor Veronique emerging from Mystic's Cloud, a store stocked full with divination supplies, the same time the came out of the bookstore which was located right across the way from Mystic's. The professor had briefly looked up from one of her new books and right at Lily, Sirius, and Remus before returning her gaze to her books. They ducked back into the bookstore just in time before Professor Veronique did a double take in their direction. She had stared toward the bookstore for a moment as a perplexed expression took over her features, then shook her head lightly and made her way further down the narrow street.

Lily grimaced and swore, "Damn!"

"Don't worry, Prongs," Remus had assured her, taking a glance out the window. "I'm sure she'll think were each some sort of spiritual apparition, or something."

"Yeah," Sirius had mumbled, frowning down at his product. "Which is too bad, really; I was kind of looking forward to testing the stuff in my book." Later, after a quick snack,the trio opted to check out the newest Quidditch gear at the sports shop (with much feigned interest on Lily's part); while Sirius and Remus inspected the new line of Quidditch Peterson's uniforms Lily buried her nose in _Quidditch Pastimes, _a magazine with a full spread of photographs featuring the top 100 most talented players in the league. Although to any other customer it would appear that Lily was thoroughly engrossed in the tips from the players, she was focused on a much more superficial aspect aside from their wisdom, namely the photos of young men posing in Quidditch trousers and protection, but without the shirt. _Merlin, if all Quidditch players end up like this, maybe I should follow Potter's teaching and become more involved in Gryffindor's team…_

"What's that you have, James?"

Lily started as Sirius appeared at her side, seemingly out of no where. "Huh?" she asked, stalling for time.

"What are you looking at?" He looked over Lily's shoulder and down at the magazine. When he saw the shirtless Quidditch players, he furrowed his eyebrows and reared his head back. "What _are_ you looking at, Prongs?"

Thinking quickly on her feet, Lily hastily pointed to the shin pads that one person wore. "These…this protection gear," she told Sirius. "All the arm pads, knee pads, and stuff. I mean, don't they look like they could bounce a bludger right off you? I mean, really, if chasers wore gear like that there'd be no need for you beaters." _I barely have any clue about what I just said, _she thought to herself.

"Oh!" Sirius exclaimed, satisfied with her answer. "Yeah, I suppose they look pretty durable." Then he laughed lightly and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Man, James," he chuckled. "I thought you were looking at something _completely_ different."

Now, a little while later they were sitting in The Hog's Head, one last stop before they headed back to school for the evening.

"Hey, check this out," Sirius said, pointing to the small menu. "It says there're two new brands of Firewhiskey, limited time only. You guys up for it?"

Remus leaned in to peer over his friend's shoulder. "What are they?"

"Um…raspberry and kiwi-lime."

"That sounds good," Remus replied. "I'm curious about that kiwi-lime."

Sirius grinned wildly and nodded. "Yeah, me, too. Excuse me, waiter?" He raised his hand up to get the server's attention. "Could we get some ser—hey!" Lily had interrupted him by grabbing his hand and slamming it back on the table.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed, fixing Sirius with a glare. "Does the term 'under-aged" mean _anything_ to you? Apparently_ not!" _she added before Sirius could answer.

"James, relax," Remus said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "A little drink won't hurt at all. Plus, you know The Hog's Head. You can do anything here as long as you pay the bill and don't report them for what goes on."

"Besides," Sirius said with a twinkle in his eyes. "With the tolerance you've built up, one bottle won't affect that much, if at all." He put his hand up again, this time successfully gaining the attention from a nearby waiter. "Hi, could we have two Kiwi-Lime Firewhiskeys and one Raspberry?"

Lily sighed and propped her elbow on the table, leaning her head onto her fist. "Sirius," she said dully. "You have got to be the most unbelievably careless person that I have ever had the misfortune to meet. With all you've done, I surprised you haven't been arrested."

Sirius smirked and raised an eyebrow. "It's the name. Being named after a constellation does have its lucky advantages."

The server returned and plunked three bottles on the table, followed by three tall glasses and small sheet of paper. Sirius and Remus reached immediately for their drinks while Lily just stared warily at her own.

"Mmm," Sirius murmured, staring at his bottle. "This is quite good. Kind of sweet, but tangy at the same time."

Unable to ignore the bit of temptation she felt, Lily fingered the top of the bottle. _Well, _she thought. _If we get caught, it's not like I'd be the one in trouble, technically speaking. And if I ever try drinking it might as well be while someone else could be blamed for it… _Lily bit her lip and twisted the cap off. _Besides, this will be the only one. _The last thought Lily remembered having was, _Hmm, this actually tastes really good…_

_Bang, bang, bang!_

From his position on the couch James scowled and shifted, but refused to open his eyes.

_Bang, bang, bang!_

James sighed in aggravation and rubbed his eyes tiredly. _Who the hell could be out at…?_ He checked the clock above the mantle. _11:30? _The loud knocking came again. _BANG, BANG, BANG! _He was about to yell out the password but a voice outside the portrait called out first.

"Would someone come open this bl-bloody door!"

_Dammit__, Sirius! _James thought, immediately recognizing the voice

"NOT WITHOUT THE PASSWORD!" a female shrilled.

Groaning, James forced himself to move off the couch and stumbled over to the portrait. He opened it to reveal three people; one clutching a bottle, another squinting at James confusedly, and another looking very nearly in his right mind. But there was no denying it—all were very drunk.

"What exactly were you doing in Hogsmeade the entire afternoon?" James asked.

Remus stumbled into the common room, burdened down with Sirius's weight. "It's not what you think, Lily," he replied. James just gave him a look. "Alright, so it is," Remus amended. "But we weren't drinking the _entire_ afternoon."

"And don't be so bitter, Po—Evans!" Lily said cheerfully. She wandered unsteadily over to him and clapped a hand on James's shoulder. "Sir—Sirus brought you back a little something!"

At the sound of his name Sirius held up the bottle in his hand. "I brought the Christmas cheer!"

James yawned and rubbed his eyes. _It is way too late to be dealing with this. _"Sirius, we're in March," he corrected.

"Minor de-detail."

Lily moaned and put a hand to her temple. _Suddenly the room is shifting, _she thought dazedly. She staggered over to a nearby chair and slurred, "Ugh…I think I needa lie-down." Lily started to lower herself, but instead ended up tumbling onto the floor with a loud _thump_ because she hadn't realized she was about half a foot away.

Sirius immediately broke in to raucous laughter. "No-no matterr whot you can say 'bout me Prongs, at leeest I can sidown in bleed'n a chair!" James walked over to Lily and hauled her up on her feet. _This is something I'd never thought would happen in this lifetime, _he thought, biting his lip to keep from laughing. _Imagine, Lily Evans, drunk out of her mind!_

"Huh," Lily mumbled, glancing behind her. "Coulda sworn it was be'ind me already. Did it move?"

James rolled his eyes and slightly smacked her across the face. "Evans," he murmured, just loudly enough so she could hear. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Lily squinted at his hand, wobbling unsteadily on her feet. "I dunno, eleven?" James glanced at his five fingers, then back at Lily curiously. "Hell, I don' care…"

James turned to Remus, knowing that he was always the one out of the three of them that had the most mental control when intoxicated. "Exactly how much did she have to drink?" Shrugging, he replied dully, "No idea. I was too busy losing count to my own bottles." He looked over his shoulder to check on Sirius, who was draped over the back of the couch, singing Christmas carols under his breath. "Look, I'd better take'im up t'bed before he passes out completely," Remus told James.

"Alright, fine. But if I were you I'd perform a silencing charm around his bed, and yours, for that matter, so that when you wake up tomorrow afternoon your head doesn't pound too much from the noises around you."

"Okay, g'night." Hauling Sirius to his feet and slinging his arm over his shoulder, Remus began dragging him over to the staircase. "Oh, hey Lily?" he asked.

"Yeah?" James called back, preoccupied with carefully lowering Lily into a chair.

"Which staircase leads upstairs? The right or the left?"

James looked at Remus blankly. _He must be seeing double, _he thought. "Um…the left…"

Remus raised his hand in thanks, and then carefully made his way up the steps, holding Sirius' arm in one hand, and firmly grasping the banister with the other.

James sighed and turned back to Lily. "Okay, Evans," he said seriously. "We need to get you in bed."

Lily started giggly madly and thumped her head forward on the tabletop. "Mr. Potter," she managed through laughter and snorts. "Tha'snot very 'propriate, is it? Shouldn' we wait at least until the first date?" Then she gasped and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh," she said, looking extremely shocked. "That is so cool!" Lily looked at James, pointing to herself excitedly. "Did you hear that? I just rhymed! I'm a know it and I didn't even poet!" Lily burst out into a fresh round of laughter. "There I go again! Hey, wanna here a joke?" James started to open his mouth but Lily interrupted. "Of _course _you do! Okay, why did the pineapple fall out of the tree?"

James heaved a sigh. _Let me just humor her, _he decided. "I don't know, Evans," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Why did the pineapple fall out of the tree?"

Lily paused dramatically before saying, "Tofu!" James quirked his eyebrow in surprise. _I don't get it, _he thought bewilderedly. "Get it?" Lily was saying, looking extremely proud. "_Tofu!_" She threw her head back and laughed loudly, as if it was the funniest thing she ever said.

James rolled his eyes heaven-ward and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _She's drunker than I thought, _he thought wearily. "Yes, Evans, that was very funny," he said, grabbing Lily by the hands and trying to pull her to her feet. "But let's be serious, now."

"I don' thinkI cn'do tha'" she said, slurring heavily. "Sirius'is a boy, and I…well, I'm a…a…" She trailed off and blinked, looking confused. "Wait, what was I sayin'?"

"It isn't important," James said dismissively. He grabbed her arms again, this time succeeding in bringing her to stand up. Unable to have full control of her muscles, Lily leaned limply against James, who nearly toppled over in result. "C'mon, Evans," he pleaded. "I can't carry you myself! You need to stand up!"

"Isn'tha what I'm doin?" Lily mumbled, rubbing her forehead. Gritting his teeth, James dragged her over the couch and deposited her onto it. "Ya know, Potter," Lily babbled as she heavily sank into the couch. "I've just gotta tell you…"

"Tell me what?" James replied wearily.

Lily scrunched her face, trying to focus on James. "You," she declared heavily, pointing at him with an unsteady arm. "Are _completely_ stunning without a shirt on."

James blinked in surprise. That was probably the last thing he ever expected to hear, and yet he still couldn't believe he had. "Excuse me?" he said stupidly.

Holding her arm up must have made Lily feel a bit wobbly, because her body slowly slid to the side to a point where she was nearly laying down. "I mean serusly…" Lily continued, after taking a moment to sit up again. "You have…the best damn looking stomach…that I have ever seen in my entire life."

James shifted uncomfortably. "Um…Evans—?"

"I mean my _whole _life!" Lily exclaimed. She was waving her arms around wildly to emphasize her point. "Le'me tell ya, Quidditch has certainly done your body good. It looks like it's been carved out'a bloody marble or somethin'…Hell, Michlangeelo couldn' pull of a piece of artwork like your stomach, it's that gorgeous."

James' eyebrows shot up in shock and he felt his face turn many shades of red. "Um…right," he mumbled awkwardly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pajamas and avoiding Lily's gaze. "It's _definitely_ time for you to go to sleep. I don't think you'd be very happy with what you were saying if you were in your right mind. You're supposed to hate me, remember?"

Lily snorted and waved an impatient, unsteady arm in his direction. "Oh, _bull_," she said vehemently. "Whether or not I like you, I can see. I'd have to be damn-near _blind _not to notice your body without a shirt on, since have to shower with it an'everythin'." Lily paused suddenly, staring off into space. "Actully," she continued, becoming more incoherent by the second. "Bet even a bline' person…would be able to _sense _it or somefin…tha's how bu-bootiful your stomach is." Lily stopped and put a finger to her chin, scowling deeply in thought. "Han' on, tha's not how it'said. Bu…bootif…butifoll…oh, screw it. Ya know what I'm talkin' about Po'er."

_But do you? _James wondered, crossing his arms and studying her intently. Aloud he said, "Of course, I do, Evans. Okay, it's time to get some sleep now. You can get a head start on dozing off the hangover you'll have tomorrow. _Sapora_." In an instant Lily's wrinkled clothes were replaced by clean sleepwear. Lily looked down at her form curiously.

"Tha's cool," she wondered aloud. "How'dja do it? Magic?"

"Yes," James told her patiently, while trying to prop her legs on the couch. "Yes, it was. Would you like to see some more?" Lily nodded as much as being intoxicated could allow, which really wasn't more than a twitch of the head. "Right, then." James pointed his wand straight at her face and said, "_Dormius_" Lily yawned widely, and her eyes began to droop. "Well, tha' wasn't very impressive…" She trailed off and fell into a deep sleep. Relieved, James put his hands over eyes and rubbed them vigorously. He grabbed a blanket that was draped over that arm of the couch and covered Lily. Then he took off the glasses and placed them on the table. "Sleep well," he muttered. "You'll definitely need it for the mood you'll be in for tomorrow."

The next day, the hustle and bustle of the Common Room was louder than Lily ever remembered. Every single voice that spoke above a whisper seemed to penetrate her skull. She brought her fingers to her temples and rubbed them in circles. "Ugh…" was all that she seemed capable of saying, since her tongue felt like lead. She winced at the pounding sensation in her head, which her so bad that Lily was certain any thinking would cause her discomfort. _What did I do deserve this?_

**A/n: **I am **SOOOO sorry**, guys! I really didn't meant to wait this long. I hadn't realized it had been nearly six months since my last update. Here are my reasons (they might not be good ones, but at least I'm attempting to explain): Junior year has been unfairly hectic. My grades have gone down slightly, mainly just because I've been burned out. I've been studying my ass off for finals (biology is the devil's spawn), and just hanging on until the end of the year. But to be honest, those reasons aren't the ones that have kept me from writing. It's that damned **WRITER'S BLOCK,**and it was only for this situation.Seriously. I had no clue what else to write about Lily's outing with Sirius and Remus. I needed to think of how they could entertain themselves for the next…10 hours or so. Very difficult. I had tried time and time again to think of something, but no luck. So, I had a brainstorm. Why not just fast forward to where I needed to be? I hope you guys don't mind using your imagination to think of how they filled the time at Hogsmeade. But it was either that, or waiting another bunch of months for me to think of something, which I thought would be rather cruel. If I think of something later, I'll just go back and enter it into this chapter or something, but I doubt that'll happen. If you have any ideas of how Lily, Remus, and Sirius spend their time up until the beginning of this chapter, PLEASE tell me. I'll be sure to give you credit.

I can't be sure when I can next update. Don't be surprised if it isn't until, like, September because school's out and that's where I the best access, since internet kind of sucks at my house. **DON'T BE MAD, THOUGH!** If I don't update, just take solace in the fact that I'll be writing other chapters and then when I do update, it shouldn't be that long of a wait in between.

**Look for news on my author's page.**

**Next Chapter: Aftermath**

Includes: Lily's hangover, her confrontation with Derek, and a **VERY important talk with James.**

Thanks to each and every person who reviewed, and also to those who just simply like to read without the burden of reviewing. I'm glad you enjoy the story!

Until next time,

Spirit


	16. Aftermath

**Okay, after my other story got deleted, I'm taking no chances. Words cannot describe how depressed I'd be if I lost this. So, I will now be posting a disclaimer at the beginning of each and every chapter, as well as going back and reposting one with other editing once I finish this story. **

**DISCLAIMER: **All characters, except Parker, Kate, Derek, and other unrecognizables, belong to J.K Rowling, as well as Scholastic; I'm not sure whether or not to include Warner Bros. in this, so I will just to be sure.

**A/n: FINALLY! In this chapter there are two moments you have all been waiting for: Derek gets a beat down and Lily and James form a friendship! YAY! Read on to enjoy!**

**Btw: the term "frenemies" was coined by someone I know…it describes our strange relationship to a tee. Sorry for any typos! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Sixteen: Aftermath**

Lily and groaned and slowly brought a hand to her aching head. She carefully shifted onto her side to get into a more comfortable position, trying to improve the nauseating, churning sensation in her stomach. "Ugh…bloody hell…" She could barely hear her own voice over the ringing in her ears. "Could someone answer that phone?" she mumbled absentmindedly. A sudden jostling of the couch made her stomach stir in protest.

"Nice to see that you're awake, Evans."

Lily groaned and muttered irritably, "Stop moving, before I aim my stomach's contents at you."

"Good morning to you, too, sunshine," James laughed.

Lily opened her eyes, fully prepared to curse James out, but then quickly snapped them shut with a loud cry, clapping her hands over her face. "It's too bloody bright in here, someone shut the damn curtains!"

Leaning over Lily to grab the glasses, James grinned and shook his head. "If that's you're only complaint, Evans, you should consider yourself extremely lucky."

"Of course it isn't my only complaint, you insensitive prat," Lily snapped. "My mouth tastes like dry, gravelly crap; my stomach feels like a thousand Cornish pixies have taken up residence in it; my head is _throbbing_; my limbs feel like each one is full of cement and my—oh, for God's sake, would someone _please_ answer that damn phone!"

Gingerly slipping the glasses onto Lily's face, James told her bewilderedly, "There is no phone, Evans."

"Stop shouting, Potter, I'm right next to you," Lily implored crossly, scowling and clapping her hands over her ears.

Lowering his voice a bit, James asked, "Listen, Evans, do you remember anything from last night?"

Wrinkling her eyebrows, Lily cracked her eyes open. "No, not really," she answered. "The last conscious thought I remember having was drinking a really good bottle of raspberry flavored Firewhiskey…and another one…and another…" Wincing, she asked, "Oh, hell, how bad was I?"

James chuckled and shook his head. "Pretty wasted, Evans. You were very…how should I put this? _Carefree_, would be a good word to describe you. It was actually really funny."

Lily carefully sat up and rested her elbows on her knees, leaning her head into her hands. "Oh, no," she murmured. "I didn't make too much a fool of myself, did I?"

"Well, that all depends," James said, smirking and folding his arms. "Why did the pineapple fall out of the tree?"

"I dunno…ugh, more importantly, I don't care…" she groaned.

"Tofu!"

Lily lifted her head and looked at James, completely confused. "Wait…tofu? _What?_"

"You mean you don't remember?" James asked amusedly. "You're the one who told me that joke in the first place."

"Well, it's not entirely my fault," Lily sighed. "I had no control over what I was saying."

"So, you didn't mean anything you said, then?"

"I don't know, Potter. Why does it matter?"

James shrugged and forced himself to hide his grin. "Well, people say that when you're drunk, your inhibitions are completely shot."

Lily blinked and said monotonously, "So?"

"So," James continued meaningfully. "Everything you said just might be in your subconscious thought process."

"Potter, that is ridiculous," Lily said tiredly, rubbing her temples. "Anything that happened last night was entirely meaningless and unimportant."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, _really_."

"I don't know, Evans," James told her lightly. "What you said to me last night seemed pretty genuine."

At the sound of his tone, Lily froze and opened her eyes. "What'd I say?" she asked warily.

"C'mon Evans, what's it matter? You just said—"

"Potter, just tell me what the hell I said last night!"

Finally, James let his smile break through. "According to you, Evans, I have a _very_ sexy stomach," he said cockily.

The expression on Lily's face didn't change in the slightest. "No, seriously, Potter, what'd I say?"

"Oh, would you like a direct quote, then? How about this: 'You have the best damn looking stomach that I have seen in my entire life.' Give or take a bit of slurring of course."

Lily snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please; as if something so vulgar would come out of _my_ mouth. Like I would actually indulge that swelling ego of yours."

"Here's another one, Evans," James said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "'It looks like it's been carved out of a bloody marble or something; hell, Michelangelo couldn't pull of a piece of artwork like your stomach, it's that gorgeous.' That one was my favorite."

"I did _not_ say that!"

"'Let me tell you, Quidditch has certainly done your body good.' Honestly, Evans, I never knew you were that attracted to my body." _Never knew the reaction I'd have to finding out, either, _James added inwardly, thinking of how horribly his face had colored.

"Shut up!" Lily shrieked, covering her blushing face with a pillow. "God, I can't believe I did that. It had to be the alcohol, there's no other reasonable explanation."

"Sure there is," James said brightly. "You find me completely and utterly irresistible."

A muffled moan sounded from the pillow.

"You think I'm sexy, you like my stomach, you know you want me…" James sang teasingly.

"Look, Potter, can we just…never speak of this incident again?"

James pulled a mock hurt expression. "Oh, but Evans, I thought this brought our relationship to a more intimate level." Lily groaned and dropped her head into her hands. "But for you," James continued. "I'll suffer the silence."

"Thank you."

James grinned. "Besides, I've already archived it into my pensive." Lily scowled and opened her mouth indignantly to protest, but James plowed on before she had the chance. "So, how 'bout I go brew you a hangover potion that'll shock you out of your sorry state? I've had plenty of practice, seeing that I've been in your situation numerous times."

"That sounds heavenly," Lily sighed in relief.

"Great." James heaved himself off of the couch and to his feet and started to move toward the portrait door. Although before he got very far, he paused and turned back to Lily. Biting his bottom lip slightly, he said, "Hey, Evans?"

"Hm?"

James hesitated before saying playfully, "Yours isn't that bad either." Baffled, Lily lifted her head and fixed James with a questioning glance, but he just winked and made his way out of the Common Room.

But soon as he was alone in the hallway James immediately lost his roguish composure. He leaned against the wall, covered his face, and moaned quietly, "Oh, bugger…I _can't_ _believe_ I actually said that. It's so damn _corny!_" '_Yours isn't that bad either'? More importantly, what could have _possibly _possessed me to say that to _her _of all people? "_And besides that," he said, continuing his monologue aloud. "Who the _hell_ looks at a girl's stomach? Well…_me_, apparently…I am just enough of a loser to be attracted to her _stomach!_" He could practically hear Sirius's lecturing voice as though he were standing right next to him. "_James, you are trapped in a girl's body, and the only part you're attracted to is her _stomach? (And this would be the part where he smacks me on the head, James thought dully) _What is the matter with you!_ _I am appalled and completely ashamed to call you my friend!" _James uncovered his face and ran his hands through the red hair that framed his equally red face. "There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this…There has to be, it's _Evans_ I'm talking about here," he muttered to himself, taking several deep, steadying breaths. "There is, I'm sure of it. I just…I can't think on it now. I…I have that potion to make." James inhaled again and closed his eyes, relieved that there was something to divert his thoughts. He pushed off from the wall and straightened his robes. "Yeah, that's what I'll do," he said, regaining his previous confidence. "I'll think about it later…" But as James made his way to the Room of Requirement, he knew perfectly well that he planned on doing nothing of the sort.

--------

Back in the Common Room Sirius stumbled blindly down the stairs with one hand cradling his aching head and the other firmly on the banister. A yawning Remus wasn't far behind. They staggered over and sank down onto the couch next to Lily without a word. It was quite an interesting sight to behold. Lily's brows were drawn together in a look of intense discomfort as she pressed her fingers over ears, trying in vain to block out the incessant ringing; Remus sat next to her, hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees and his covering his eyes with his hand to block out the offending light; Sirius was slouching and leaning his head on the back of the couch, massaging his temples to ease away his headache. "Ugh…where the hell is my hangover potion?" he demanded.

"We may have to go brew one, Padfoot," Remus mumbled incoherently.

Sirius turned to Remus, looking highly affronted. "We? What '_we'_? _Peter!_" he bellowed. "Go brew me a hang over potion!"

Remus clapped his hands over his ears and glowered deeply at his friend. "_Sirius,_" he growled dangerously.

"Oh, sorry, mate," Sirius amended, wincing slightly. "I'd forgotten that your wolf tendencies come out when you're hung over." Remus just grunted a pressed a pillow over his face.

"I don't think Peter's in here, Sirius," Lily told him. "Doesn't he get up earlier than you guys?"

"Yeah, he's probably off somewhere lurking in someone else's shadow," Sirius replied snidely, his upper lip curled in dislike. "That should give you a break for awhile, James."

"Oh, bugger," Remus moaned, his voice muffled by the pillow. "My head is _killing _me. I suppose I should thank _you _for it, Sirius."

Sirius turned to his friend looking bewildered. "Why me?"

"Because, you _prat,_" Remus explained through gritted teeth, uncovering his face. "It's always _your fault _for getting us in this state!"

"Oh, right! That's certainly not what you said last night, is it? I believe your words were, 'bring it on'?"

"At least I was in enough of a mental state to find our way back here!" Remus retorted angrily.

"Of course; always the perfect Designated Dave, you are," Sirius remarked bitterly under his breath, sliding further down in his seat and folding his arms.

"Well, _someone_ has to be! If it had been up to you we'd probably be halfway to Belgium right now on that stupid-arse bike of yours, just so you could satisfy your bloody craving for chocolate!"

Sirius groaned and dragged his hand over his face. "Remus, would you let it go_?"_ he told him exasperatedly. "It was one time, alright? Grow up and _get over it!"_

Remus scowled deeply and clutched the pillow to his chest. "I'll get over it when I'm good and ready," he snapped petulantly. Lily was somewhat surprised by Remus's short temper. She had never before seen him so irritable or argumentative; she was used to seeing him calm and level headed. _So much for being the tranquil one of the group_, she thought amusedly.

The argument was cut short when James walked into the Common Room, carrying three vials of a thick, dull green potion. He strolled up to the trio with a smirk on his face and handed each of them a bottle. "Drink up, addicts" he said, flopping down next to Sirius.

Lily snatched hers with an impatient, "It's about time."

"Lily, you are a godsend," Remus breathed in relief. He eagerly uncorked his vial and brought it his mouth without hesitation.

"Yeah," Sirius muttered, following suit. "You actually managed to cut off Remus's hissy fit." Remus sent him a dirty look, but said nothing because the potion kept his mouth full and bulged out his cheeks.

Unlike Sirius and Remus, Lily examined the potion hesitantly instead of drinking it right away. When she tipped the bottle, the green substance only seeped very slowly down the side of the glass as though it had been mixed with wet cement. Lily had to fight down the urge to vomit when she saw a bulky bubble rise and burst in the middle. "Ugh," she croaked weakly. "What _is_ this stuff, toxic waste?"

James sighed and rubbed his eye. "Drink it," he said tiredly. "Just get it over with. It'll make you feel a hell of a lot better. And make sure you drink all of it so that it works the best"

Lily looked at him incredulously and back to the potion. "But it's…" she protested, swallowing thickly. "…_chunky_."

"Drink it, Potter," James repeated.

"Are you sure I don't have to chew it?" Lily inquired mockingly.

"_Just do it!_"

Lily pouted and reluctantly uncorked the vial. "Fine," she muttered childishly. She carefully brought to her nose and inhaled, then immediately held it away from her face, pinching her nose. "Please don't tell me that it tastes like it smells."

"Worse," James answered dully.

_Lovely, _Lily thought resignedly. She pinched her nose tighter and raised the bottle to her mouth at an achingly slow pace, centimeter by centimeter.

Finally James snarled, "If you don't stop being such a drama queen and down that within the next ten seconds, I'll force-feed it to you, I swear." Making one last face at James, Lily finally took a deep breath and drank the potion down, gagging the entire time.

**--------**

The next day on their way to breakfast, Lily was still complaining to James about the potion and swearing off Firewhiskey for life. "I mean it, Potter," Lily said resolutely. "If I ever pick up another drink I want you to tie me to a chair and—"

"Ooh, sounds dirty, Evans," James interrupted, eyes twinkling wildly. His raised an eyebrow flirtatiously and smirked at her. "But in public? _Really, _this sort of talk should wait until you and I are alone tonight on our couch."

Lily scowled deeply at James and continued, "I was _about to say_, you insensitive pig, tie me down and prevent me from taking even the tiniest sip. God, I was up _so _late last night finishing my assignments, since I was hardly in a state to work on them during the day. I'll be lucky if I don't fall asleep on my desk. If I do, be sure to wake me up, alright?"

"Please, Evans," James scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You know very well that I would just let you go on sleeping. You shouldn't have even bothered to ask."

Lily sighed and shifted her book bag to a more comfortable position. "That is true," she conceded. "It was actually very foolish of me to ask, wasn't it?"

"Absolutely!" James playfully threw and arm around her shoulder. "_Now_ we're seeing eye to eye, Evans. There's hope for you, yet."

Lily just shook her head and muttered a very sarcastic, "Whatever," but James didn't miss the small grin on her face, or the fact that she hadn't forcefully removed his arm like she would have done a week before. He allowed himself a celebratory strut and a smug smile. _I guess there's hope for me, yet, as well. To pursue a _friendship _with her, of course, _he added hastily.

"Hey," Lily remarked suddenly, startling James out of his revere. "There's Parker and Kate. I was wondering where they'd gotten off to. I meant to ask them something about the Herbology reading assignment. Hey, Kate! Parker!" Neither girl seemed to notice Lily's greeting; both were deep in conversation with Remus and Sirius, looking extremely troubled. "Hm," Lily murmured. "Wonder why they look so worried? Surely, the homework wasn't _that_ difficult."

James didn't respond. As he and Lily made their way down the corridor, he became increasingly aware of the stares that were aimed in their direction and the lowered voices that hissed around them. At first he thought it was because of his arm around Lily's shoulder that set off the whispers, but that theory was dispelled when he and Lily walked by a small group of Slytherins clustered near a suit of armor. They're chatter immediately ceased, but James didn't miss the hurried "Shh! She's coming!" or the very quiet voice of a girl remark snidely, "I always knew that Evans girl was wild on the quiet. I was so _sick_ of her acting all prissy and _perfect_, walking around like she's McGonagall or something. Not quite the model student anymore, is she?"

_Oh no, _James thought, closing his eyes.

"Parker!" Lily called, walking up to where her friends were standing. "Hey, Parker! Didn't you hear me yelling for you back there?"

Parker looked extremely uncomfortable. "Erm…sorry, James," she replied quietly, her eyes shifting to the real James. "I was a bit sidetracked."

"That's fine," Lily told her, waving her hand carelessly. She reached into her book bag, pulled out her Herbology textbook and flipped it open. "I just needed to ask you something about Herbology. Does the bowtruckle like to burrow in moist earth or is that the cynthis—? What's the matter?"

"…What?" Parker replied distractedly.

"What's wrong with you all? You're awfully quiet." An uncomfortable silence fell over the group followed by a small cough and throat clearance. "Is there a test or something that I don't know about?" Lily asked, slipping the book back into her bag

Kate fiddled with her tie and stammered, "Well, no. But…um…" She looked uncertainly at Remus, and then her eyes flickered over to James before finally resting on the floor. Remus also averted his gaze, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"What?" James inquired. "What is it?" But his gut feeling let him know that he was well aware of the problem at hand.

After another moment or two of silence Sirius, who was looking uncharacteristically solemn, was the one who finally spoke. "Look, Lily," he sighed heavily, turning to James. "There's something…ugly going around. About you."

Lily blinked and shook her head slightly. "W-what do you mean?"

After a few seconds of hesitation, Remus said quietly, "Well…Parker overheard a few people in the Common Room talking about you and some Ravenclaw…Derek Thomas, I think. They said…they said that you two…did some things," he added delicately, "that night on your date."

"_What!_" Lily and James exclaimed together. "Are you _serious?_" Lily yelped. James quickly put a hand on her shoulder in an unspoken reminder to her to stay in her current role.

"What kind of things, Remus?" he asked his friend calmly.

Shrugging his shoulders he replied seriously, "All I can say, Lily, is that they've done nothing to help your reputation around Hogwarts, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?" Lily said frantically, worry etched into her face. "It—it can't be that bad, can it?"

"It's bad, James," Parker told her, shaking her head. "The word around the school is that Lily's gone wild. It seems Derek's been telling everyone that she kept him up all night, and I mean that in the worst possible way." She paused and bit down on her lip before looking at James. "You…you didn't _really _do anything like that, did you, Lily?" she asked uncertainly.

"Of course not!" the real one exclaimed. But right after the words were out of her mouth, Lily looked over to James questioningly. "Did you?" she said under her breath.

"No!" James shouted. "I would never do something like that, Parker, you _know_ that! How could you even ask me that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lily!" she told him, remorse laced in her voice. "You know I don't think that of you! It's just that…I know you really liked him, and there's no telling how charming he could have been that night. Any girl could have fallen for that scum, especially since he's known to spout such romantic lines."

"Well, trust me, they weren't that difficult to resist," James remarked nastily.

Lily stared at the ground, perplexed and shocked that she was living out one of her worst nightmares. "But…" she said faintly. "I-I can't believe that he'd…_do_ something like that. He seemed so…so nice. I can't believe he actually spread such lies about m—about Evans, when he knows that they're completely untrue!"

Remus rested a comforting hand on James's shoulder. "Well, Lily," he told him gently. "It's all about making him look good. I hate to say it, but frankly, Derek could care less about how all of this makes you look because it's all about him right now." James grinned slightly at his friend's soothing words. _He's always known exactly what to say at the right time,_ he thought.

"I'm really sorry, Lily," Kate murmured. "We really didn't want to be the ones to tell you like this, but most likely you would of have found out about the whole thing in an even worse way."

James glanced at Lily, unable to say what he wanted to in front of their friends, but wanting to convey to her that he too was sorry to see her dealing with this. But Lily wasn't looking at him. Instead, her eyes were locked on a figure about twenty feet away that was making his way down the corridor with a group of several boys clustered around him. James looked over at Derek angrily as numerous profanities ran through his mind. When he turned back to Lily, her expression had changed from confusion to fury. Before he could say anything, she had dropped her book bag and was striding determinedly over to where the cause of trouble was standing.

"James, where are you going?" Sirius called.

Lily ignored him and quickened her pace. When she came within a few feet of Derek she could catch snippets of his conversation. "Yeah, it surprised me, too," he was saying boastfully. "But you know what they say: the quiet ones are always the wildest, and I'm a witness to that." He and his company laughed loudly. "Seriously, mates, take my word for it. Forget the party girls and go after the bookworms. They'll give you a much better time!" More raucous laughter echoed off the walls. Lily finally reached her destination and roughly shoved one of the eager listeners out of the way. Derek turned toward her and said, "Hey, Potter, how's it going? Here to listen to the story first hand?"

Lily gave him a look of pure rage and without a second thought she pulled her arm back and let her fist fly straight into Derek's face. Several people exclaimed in surprise, including Kate's, "Holy hell!"

Derek doubled over with a cry of pain and covered his nose as blood streamed into his hands. "Dammit, Potter, I think you broke my nose!" he exclaimed in muffled tones. "What the hell, James?"

"What a coincidence," Lily said, seething with anger. "That's precisely what I was going to say."

With lightning speed, Lily hauled Derek up by his collar and slammed him against the wall. "You are going to tell me _exactly _what happened on that date," she said in a menacing tone. "And you will tell me the truth. If you don't, I will know, and for every lie you tell, that is exactly how many days you will spend in the Hospital Wing recovering. Is that clear?" Derek nodded vigorously. "Start talking," Lily demanded.

"Um…" he stammered uncertainly. "Okay, first I picked Lily up in—in front of the Gryffindor portrait, uh…'round seven."

"Keep going," Lily said, glaring at him.

"We…had dinner in the Astronomy Tower, and afterward watched a—a meteor shower."

"And?" Lily prompted coldly.

Derek hesitated. His eyes momentarily flickered over to his friends, who were shuffling as though they wanted to do something, but were too scared to try. One rough shake brought his attention back to a very impatient Lily. "We…we talked," he muttered begrudgingly.

"Louder," she ordered.

"We talked."

Lily's eyebrows rose slightly. "You talked," she repeated cynically. She turned to James, who was watching the display with his mouth slightly open. "Is that true?" she called to him. James nodded numbly. Lily turned back to Derek, and tightened her grip on his collar. "You talked," she said again. Then she tilted her head, pretending to think. "That's interesting," she said. "It's certainly different from what _I _heard. Now, why would I hear a rumor like that one being spread around if all you did was talk? Derek, perhaps you could tell me." Her tone made it apparent that it was not a request.

"Um," Derek said, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know. Maybe you overheard something different—?"

"Wrong answer," Lily interrupted icily. Her voice grew thunderous and the anger crept back into her tone. "Did you or did you not sleep with Lily Evans?"

Derek faltered before closing his eyes, and admitting in a quiet voice, "No, I didn't."

"What was that?" Lily said sharply.

"No," he said louder, "I didn't." A few whispers broke out throughout the corridor at his confession, and Derek's friends exchanged surprised looks.

"Did you do anything sexual with her at _all_, Derek?" Lily fired at him.

Derek glared at Lily murderously before closing his eyes, his cheeks tinged with a light pink. "No," he said through tightly clenched teeth. "I didn't."

Lily nodded slowly, looking furious, but her eyes carried a trace of underlying pain. Speaking loud enough for only Derek to hear her, she said, "If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, I will shove your wand so far down your throat, it will come out of your arse as whole as it was when you bought it from Olivander's. Do you understand?" Derek nodded nervously. Lily released her hold on his shirt so abruptly that Derek stumbled clumsily before regaining his balance. She stared at him for a moment, before turning to his friends. They all instinctively took a step back, as though she would do the same to them as she did to Derek. But all she said was, "Take him to the Hospital Wing and get that bloody nose cleaned up." Everyone watched as Derek hobble off with Anthony's help, and the group that had been eagerly listening to Derek's tale now tried to discreetly slip away.

Lily let out a shaky breath and leaned against the wall, running a trembling hand through her hair. She was either unaware of all of the looks she was receiving, or she blatantly ignored them, to preoccupied with thoughts of what had just occurred. James nervously pressed his lips together and tentatively made his way over to Lily. "Hey," he said quietly. Lily didn't answer. "I'm glad you punched him out, Evans," he continued, trying to lighten the mood. "I've been dying to do that every since that date; or what I like to refer to as my night from hell." If James was hoping to get a laugh out of his sullen companion he was disappointed. Lily showed no lines of amusement, but folded her arms tightly across her chest and stared at him gravely. "Why didn't you tell me, Potter?" she whispered.

James looked away briefly, and then said, "I tried to."

"You tried to," Lily repeated coolly. "Surely you can try better than that."

Across the corridor Sirius, Parker, Kate and Remus were looking on curiously at the display before them. They couldn't hear the words exchanged between the two, but it was obvious that Lily and James were having a very serious conversation, without shouting or swapping insults.

"Oh, poor thing," Kate said sympathetically. "Lily's got to be absolutely crushed over this. Her reputation is like gold to her. We should go over to her." She hadn't taken more than a few steps when Remus gently grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from going any further.

"Hang on a minute, Kate," he said softly. "I don't think we should interfere."

Kate looked at him, completely puzzled. "What do you mean? Interfere with what?"

Remus glanced over to Lily and James. His keen sense of perception was picking up on a changed atmosphere between the two, something that was much more different than their usual hostility. Remus knew better than to impede on it. "I just think we should leave Lily and James alone right now," he said slowly, his eyes still on the pair. "They seem to be handling it fine without us. Besides, I'm sure Lily doesn't need to be bombarded with all of us right now. C'mon, we should probably get to class."

Kate didn't look any less confused. "But—?"

"Trust him, Kate," Sirius interrupted. "Remus has a sixth sense when it comes to this kind of stuff; you know, with feelings and whatnot."

Neither Lily nor James took notice of their friends leaving, too deep in their own conversation. "I'm sorry, Evans," James told her. "I _tried_ to tell you, I really did. It's just that…well, every time I tried to say something about that catastrophe we kept getting interrupted. I…" James paused and ran his hand through his hair. "I should have told you sooner, and I should have…I don't know, taken you aside or something—"

"Yeah, you should have," Lily said coldly. "Instead of letting me go on believing everything was fine and dandy, and then waking up to deal with this mess."

"_What?_ Now wait a minute, Evans, that's not—!"

"Just don't, okay?" She brushed past James roughly and stormed off, leaving everyone in silence as they watched the display before them. It wasn't until she turned the corner that their chatter started up once again. Ignoring the stares and whispers, James swore under his breath and hurried to catch up with her. But by the time he turned the corner Lily was long gone. "_Damn,_" James murmured in frustration. He turned to a nearby third year Hufflepuff chatting animatedly with a friend. James tapped her on the shoulder and she immediately stopped talking, looking somewhat embarrassed that the very subject of her conversation had caught her gossiping.

"Sorry, Lily," she said hastily, eager to avoid an angry confrontation.

James just rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't care what you were talking about, I just need to know where Ev—James Potter went. Did you see him come this way?" The girl looked bewilderedly at her friend, who just shrugged her shoulders. "_WELL!_" James exploded.

"Um, no, no we didn't," she replied timidly. "We were sort of…distracted." The two girls both looked down as a deep red tinged their cheeks.

James let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "I have _no _patience for Hufflepuffs," he muttered crossly under her breath. _There's only one solution to this. _ He ran off toward the staircase and leaped up the stairs two at a time. After sprinting up several flights, he tore into the Gryffindor Common Room and hurried up to the boys' dormitory. Inside, James threw open his trunk and rummaged around until he found just what he was looking for.

"Yes!" he said triumphantly. James unfolded the parchment quickly, pointed his wand at it, and announced, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Black lines of ink started to spread from his wand, and crept over the creases until it covered the parchment from corner to corner. Hundreds of dots were moving steadily across the paper as students and professors alike made their ways to their classes. "Bloody Hell," James grumbled. He placed his finger at the top of the Marauder's Map and began his search for the dot with Lily's name. He had covered half of it before he remembered that he should be looking for the dot with _his _name instead, due to his current predicament. James let out a frustrated yell and moved his hand to the top of the map again to start over. "Finally!" he shouted, leaning closer. "Room…215, second floor. Room 215, second floor." James repeated it again to himself as he quickly grabbed his wand at rushed toward the door, only to spin back around to wipe the map clean. "Mischief managed," he said hurriedly. James crumpled up his map and stuffed it untidily into his trunk, then sped out of the dorm and rushed out to find Room 215.

James burst into the room, completely out of breath after sprinting down five flights of stairs, and saw Lily pacing relentlessly, clenching and unclenching her fists as though she was itching to take her anger out on the first thing she saw. _Well, that's said and done, _James thought apprehensively, noticing two overturned chairs to his right. Cautiously stepping into the classroom, James cleared his throat to make Lily aware of his presence without the risk of becoming the object of her anger.

Lily gave no sign that she heard him; she just exhaled angrily and continued to pace. James stepped further into the room and closed the door as quietly as he could. _Merlin, it looks like she has too much fury to even contain._ He swallowed nervously and ran a hand through his hair. "Er…Hey, Evans…" he ventured. Again, Lily offered no response, only clenching her jaw and breathing harshly through her nose. Running a hand over the back of his neck, James decided to try. "I'm really, _really _sorry about all of this, Evans," he told her. "Honestly, I…If I ever thought things would get this bad, I would have told you so _much_ sooner. It—it wasn't quite as bad as you might think, though. The date, I mean." James paused and bit down on his lip. "Cheer up," he offered, trying to sound jovial. "I'm sure this entire thing will blow over by tomorrow morning."

Suddenly Lily stopped pacing the room and stood still, staring at the ground. After a moment she looked up at James so intensely that he thought Lily was going to punch him exactly the way she had done to Derek earlier. He inwardly braced himself for her fist, but met her gaze steadily. Several long, silent, excruciating moments passed. Then, something that James hadn't expected at all.

Lily's leaned against the wall as her hard exterior crumbled. Then she slid down to the floor and began to cry.

**--------**

"Hey, Rem, can you believe Prongs reacted like that?" Sirius said incredulously as they settled into their seats for Transfiguration. "It was as though he was channeling…I don't know one of those angry mythical creatures. A Fury or something."

Remus sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure, Sirius," he told him in a low voice. "I'd say he was closer to a mother lion protecting her young."

"But he's _never_ reacted so violently to something to do with Lily!"

"Well, yeah, but this is a pretty big something, Padfoot," Remus said, frowning at him. "That's a _really _nasty rumor going around about Lily. James probably just…Well, you know how strong his Gryffindor spirit is, don't you? Lily's still a Gryffindor, and there's no doubt that she's in a lot of pain right now. James is just defending his House, that's all. And since Lily's part of his House, he'll defend her too, if it comes to that. Obviously, it has."

Sirius nodded, but by the expression on his face he was clearly still confused. "Yeah, I _guess_ that sounds like him," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But, I've known him since we were little, and even _I_ didn't predict that he would go and punch Thomas out like that!"

Remus smiled. "Perhaps James isn't as predictable as we all think, Padfoot," he remarked wisely.

A few seats away Parker and Kate were having a similar conversation. "I feel absolutely _awful_ about asking Lily about the whole thing, Kate," Parker murmured, her head in her hands. "I can't believe I thought she'd do something as uncharacteristic as sleep with Derek! I'm supposed to be her best friend, and I believed those rumors!"

Kate rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her friend. "But it was only for a second, Parker," she assured. "By this time the facts have been completely distorted into about three separate rumors. You didn't know what to believe, it's not your fault."

"Yeah, but I should have trusted my own judgment. After all, I've known Lily for so long, and I _definitely _should have known that she's not that kind of girl." Parker groaned loudly and dropped her head onto her arms. "She's _never_ going to let me forget this!"

Letting out a highly annoyed breath, Kate dropped her hand and said determinedly, "Look, Parker, I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but you need to stop complaining and think about Lily for a second." Parker looked up at her friend's sharp tone, scowling ever so slightly. "Do you really think she's sitting and thinking to herself, "God, I can't stand Parker right now!'? Of course not! She's probably so focused on figuring out how to fix her ruined reputation that she doesn't _care _about anything else, let alone some stupid question. So instead of worrying about something so trivial why not worry about how we can help her!"

Parker rolled her eyes and set her chin back onto her folded arms. "Fine, I guess you're right," she admitted grudgingly. "But for now, she probably just wants to be left alone. We'll talk to her about it tonight." After a moment's pause, she added, "Can you believe how James stood up for her like that?"

"I know," Kate said excitedly. "Did you see his face when he went over to Derek? The look on his face was like this intense concentration, and he didn't notice anything else except Derek."

"Seriously, if they were dating, that would have been the most romantic thing I've every seen," Parker stated wistfully. "I wish someone would beat up another guy for me."

Kate murmured slyly, "I know _someone_ would happily punch a guy for you." She looked over to Sirius and back to Parker, winking suggestively.

"Shut your mouth!" Parker said irritably. "God, I'm so _sick_ of hearing about this!"

"Oh, come on, Parker," Kate scoffed. "I know you better than that. You're so excited for that date that you can barely contain it. And I'll bet you're planning which outfit to wear right as we speak!" she squealed.

"Shhh!" Parker hissed, glancing at Sirius anxiously. "Maybe so, but I don't want _him _to know that!"

Kate's eyes twinkled playfully, lowering her voice as McGonagall swept into the room. "Please," she told Parker sardonically "With an ego as large as his, Sirius probably expects it."

**--------**

James was still staring at Lily's crumpled form, completely at a loss about what to do. As much as he hated to admit it, his instinct had first been to quickly step out of the room and run for Remus. _I don't know how to deal with this kind of thing! _he thought, alarmed. _I never know the right thing to say. I can't handle this. _James looked longingly at the door, then back at Lily, whose body was shaking violently as she sobbed. Then, he groaned quietly under his breath and rubbed his hands over his face. _I guess I'm going to have to handle this. _Inhaling deeply, James stepped closer to Lily.

"I am…_so_ sorry, Evans," he told her quietly. "I know this is probably the millionth time I've said it, but I really am. I wanted to tell you! You _know _I would never intentionally hurt you by keeping something like this from you, if it had happened. And I swear, Evans, the date really wasn't as bad as you think. I…I could tell you all about it if you want?" James suggested hesitantly. "It might actually give you a laugh. Come on, Evans," he pleaded. "Don't cry. Please? The bastard isn't worth all of this!" When Lily didn't acknowledge him, James added, "Look, I'm sure you're…disappointed, to say the least. But there are plenty of others out there, you know? This Derek guy isn't even worth your thoughts…you don't want to waste your time with scum like Derek, anyway. In a way, you're sort of lucky you found out now—"

Lily's tear stained face suddenly snapped up. "What do _you_ know?" she said furiously. "You're just like him!"

James drew back, completely startled by her anger towards him. "What?" he exclaimed. "No I'm not!"

"Oh, please!" Lily sneered sharply. It was with such ferocity that James took another step back. "You walk around like you're a king, asking so many girls out that I wouldn't be surprised if you had a harem! Do you know how many girls cry because of you? You don't even care! All you do is laugh, and move onto the next one! Like it's some _game. _ Do you know what would happen if _I _did that? If _any_ girl did that? Do you, Potter?" she demanded. He didn't answer. "She wouldn't be known as _popular,_" Lily continued scathingly, spitting the word out as if it was poison. "She wouldn't be known as charming, and she certainly wouldn't be liked!"

James bit his lip and looked down.

"She would be called a _slut_, Potter!" Lily yelled at him. "She would have a reputation as a _whore!_ She could be the nicest girl in the world, but her name would be mud, and you damn-well know it!" Out of breath from yelling, Lily took a shaky breath and turned away from James.

James swallowed his guilt and forced himself to meet Lily's eyes. "I-I…didn't really think about it before," he said quietly.

"Yeah, well, welcome to the double-standard, Potter. Also known as life," she said bitterly, although much calmer than before.

James was quiet before saying, "It's not the end of the world, you know. It'll be okay." He was trying to be helpful, but Lily certainly didn't see it as such.

"You don't _get _it, do you, Potter?" she spat. Her eyes were blazing with anger again. "I've spent six years working hard on my reputation and earning people's respect. It's all gone now! All ruined in one day!"

Nothing was heard for a long time except for Lily's occasional sniffles. James glanced at her from where he stood. With her head was bent down facing away from him and her arms wrapped around her knees, James couldn't remember ever seeing Lily look so defenseless. She always had a certain shield of confidence around her that could never be penetrated. But now her poise was shattered, as well as her pride.

Cautiously, he made his way over to where she was and sat next to her. If Lily noticed, she didn't act like it. James leaned his head against the cold stone wall. "Evans?" he asked Lily quietly. "Why do you care so much about what people think?"

His question hung in the air and a silence settled between them. Lily was still for a long time before she turned to look at James. He almost wished she hadn't; the look of pain was near unbearable for him.

Lily stretched her legs out in front of her, crossed her ankles, and looked down. "I don't know," she said quietly, her furious demeanor gone. "I guess I just...feel like I have to prove myself to people here or something. Maybe prove my worth. The rules are different for me, Potter. I'm...I'm not pureblood…and…" Lily paused. James didn't say anything; he could tell Lily wasn't finished. She sighed and swallowed a lump in her throat. "I just feel like if…if I get good marks and stuff…if I'm a prefect…it's showing people that I'm the same as them, and even if I am a mud…Muggle-born, that I can be as good as them." Lily rubbed her eye with the bottom of her palm and tried not to start crying again.

James studied her intensely, forehead creased. He never thought Lily could be insecure, but here she was showing him that she was more often than not. "Evans," he said seriously. "D'you really think you need all of that to prove you're just as magical as the rest of us?" Lily shrugged. "I mean, c'mon!" James continued. "You wouldn't _be_ here otherwise! No matter what your bloodlines are, it's evident you as good as pureblood. Besides, there is no such thing as a witch or wizard who does not have muggle blood in them. How well someone does magic does not depend on their ancestors." Lily made a derisive noise, but said nothing. "What?" James said. "You don't believe me? Look at Peter! Both of his parents are magic folk, and he can barely point his wand correctly!" A small smile graced Lily's face. "I'm not kidding," James said with a smile. "The first day here, Remus had to point it the right way for him because Peter was holding by the side that you're supposed to point at things and aiming with the handle. To this day, Sirius _still _makes fun of him for that."

A smile tentatively crept its way onto Lily's face as she picked at a loose thread on her pant leg.

"Look at me, Evans," James said firmly. Lily lifted her head and regarded James with one eyebrow raised. "Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough to attend Hogwarts. You proved that theory wrong on the first day here, you emphasized it when you were made prefect, and you'll abolish it when you're made head girl."

"Potter, although that's encouraging, it has got to be the cheesiest crap I've ever heard." James smiled sheepishly as though to say, 'I do try.' There was a pause before Lily asked, "You really think I'll make head girl?"

"Don't get so cocky," James said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm only saying that because the only other girl with a chance is Gretchen Hobson, and she's been out for my blood ever since I ditched her during the Yule Ball to dance with Katie Clark."

Lily smiled and looked down. "Thanks," she whispered shyly.

James grinned and playfully bumped her shoulder with his. "No problem," he replied. "You don't really think that, do you?" Lily looked at him curiously. "You know," James continued slowly, eyebrows creased worriedly. "You don't really think I would try to…force a girl to do something like…_that_, right?"

Lily studied him intently. "Wouldn't you?" she asked solemnly.

"No!" James said, shaking his head vigorously. "It'd be like robbing innocence from an infant. Personally, I couldn't deal with that on my conscience." _That's pretty deep, _Lily thought. _I never thought something so wise could come out of Potter's mouth. _

James' voice interrupted her thoughts. "Second, when the time comes I would hardly have to _force_ a girl," he was saying arrogantly. "It's a wonder in itself that I'm able to keep them off me right now."

Lily snorted, but couldn't keep the grin off her face. "That's so typically pigheaded of you," she said. "You think you're God's gift to the female population."

James smirked. "I _know_ I am." Lily shook her head and looked out the window. Suddenly, what James had said sunk in.

"Wait a minute," she said, whipping her head around to face him. "You're a virgin?"

James shot Lily a withering look. "_Yes, _Evans, I am! Do you think I want to have a little brat on my hands before I'm eighteen? Please, my social life would be worse than Filch's."

"Well, it's nice to know your doing it for all the right reasons," Lily said sardonically. "After all, education and diseases are all highly over-rated."

"Also, my value would go down."

"How d'you figure?" Lily asked dryly.

"Simple," James said. "I'd be tied to a girl for the rest of my life, and therefore wouldn't be able to date around anymore. I'd have to turn down the scores of women asking me out and would eventually stop being asked. I would also cease to be the one every other man wants to be. My charm and good looks would come to an end due to deep depression that I sank into after losing my Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelor Award. And I would be mourned by everyone," he added as an after thought.

"Not everyone," Lily muttered.

"And so, in conclusion," James said loudly, ignoring her comment, "my sleeping around would have many long-term consequences on many different people."

Lily snorted derisively. "As I said before," she said to James. "Cheers for having all the right reasons."

James chuckled softly and was quiet for a moment before saying, "That was some show you put on in the hallway."

Lily laughed. "I didn't even realize anyone was watching."

"Are you kidding?" James said incredulously. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were in the _Daily Prophet_. Brilliant right hook, by the way; I was worried you were going to slap him or something. Boys don't slap. You've obviously learned a thing or two from being in my body."

"Believe it or not," Lily drawled. "I knew a few things _before_ I was trapped in this atrocious…thing."

"That hurts, darling," he said, pretending to be wounded.

Lily ignored him. "I learned how to hit like that a long time ago."

"From who?" James asked curiously.

Lily sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders. "No one, really," she murmured pensively. "It's just the sort of thing you pick up when you have an older sister with 'cold bitch' for a middle name." James winced at the vicious comment, but didn't ask Lily to elaborate. He was blocking on the girl's name, but he was sure it was Peony.

Or something like that.

"My parents are convinced it's just sibling rivalry," Lily said, breaking James' train of thought. "They think we'll grow out of it."

"And will you?" James asked quietly.

Lily did respond right away. Then, she slowly shook her head. "Probably not."

A comfortable silence settled over them and all that could be heard was the sound of their steady breathing. After a moment, James took out a sheet of parchment and a quill, settled it on his lap, and began to draw. Lily turned her head at the sound of the scratching and studied the picture. She could see the shape of a dragon's head slowly taking form.

"That's quite good," she said lightly. "I didn't know you could draw."

James gave Lily a side glance, raised his eyebrows slightly and answered very softly, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Evans." _And even more you'll never find out, _he thought grimly.

"Hmm…" she murmured, still studying the picture intently. "I never realized you were left handed."

"What?" James asked, looking up at her.

Lily gestured to his hand. "Oh, nothing," she said with a grin. "It's just something I always notice about people."

"What is?" James asked again, once again concentrating hard on his drawing.

"If they're left handed or not," Lily explained. "I don't know why, it's just something I always do. Parker's a lefty, too, you know."

"Fascinating," James muttered absentmindedly.

"I guess it's just one of my quirks or something."

"One of many, Evans, I assure you." Finished with his drawing, James put down his quill and took out his wand. "_Mobilia_." Lily watched, entranced as the dragon sprang to life, breathing fire and thrashing its tail around.

"That's _remarkable_," she breathed in awe, running her hand over the ink.

James smiled at her and held out the picture to her. "You want it?" he asked.

"Don't you want it?"

"Nah," James denied. "I can always do others. Take it." James handed the parchment to Lily, who neatly folded it and tucked it away in her bag.

"Thanks," she said. James nodded. Once again, they were both quiet. Then Lily said, "They're going to think you were standing up for me, you know." To her surprise, James didn't seem fazed.

"Remus, Sirius, and I would have done something anyway," he said casually.

"Really?" Lily said disbelievingly.

James nodded. "Maybe not the way you did," he said. "But it's not like we would have just let it happen."

"Why?"

"Because," James explained. "You're a Gryffindor no matter how much you get on my nerves—which happens to be a lot, by the way—Gryffindors are loyal to one another. That is what sets us apart from those Slytherin bastards."

"Oh, charming," Lily joked. "Not very enemy-like of you."

James smiled, looking thoughtfully out the window. "No," he said quietly, almost to himself. "It's not." He turned to look at Lily and rested his elbows on his knees. "Hey," he said. "Don't you think this enemy thing is getting to be a bit…" James waved his hand slightly. "Childish?"

Lily blinked, completely taken aback by James' comment. "Um, well…"

"I mean, think about it," James continued. "You and I haven't really been acting like enemies lately, have we? Sure, we bicker like usual and everything, but can you truly say you _hate_ me anymore?"

Lily hesitated before shaking her head reluctantly.

"Right," James said, a grin spreading on his face. "Me neither. That's why I think we should no longer be enemies, but _frienemies_."

"Frienemies," Lily repeated, looking at James as though he had lost his mind. "I assume you came up with that yourself?"

"I did, in fact," he said proudly.

"Figures," Lily muttered under her breath. "What's it mean?" she asked James.

"Well," James explained. "It's a cross between enemies and friends. We can still quarrel and annoy the hell out each other, for entertainment's sake, but we can also act civil towards each other for no reason. You know, talk without shouting. Kind of what we're doing now. So? What do you say?" James held his hand out to Lily to shake. "Frienemies?"

Lily looked at his hand uncertainly. This wasn't exactly a decision to be made rashly. Shaking James' hand meant changing everything. It meant putting six years of dislike behind her and starting over again. Sure, they had been getting along for the past week, but was it something that she was willing to make permanent?

Lily inhaled deeply and looked back at James, who still had his hand out.

"Come on," coaxed James, a smirk playing on his lips. "What do you have to lose?"

"My sanity," Lily replied.

"Hate to tell you this, Evans, but you lost that long ago." Lily sighed wearily and finally shook James' hand, sealing the agreement.

"Fine," she relented. "Frienemies." James smiled at her and let go, turning to look out the window once more. After a minute or so, he turned his head back to Lily and said, "I'm hungry. You?"

"A bit," Lily admitted. "We've missed breakfast, though, and class started half an hour ago."

"So?" James said.

"So what?" Lily asked.

"My point exactly."

Lily looked at James, confusion written clearly on her face. "Have I missed something?"

"So what if class started!" James said. "We can't work on empty stomachs, can we?"

Lily leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "No," she said flatly.

"No what?" James asked.

"No, we are not going to skip class to eat breakfast. We've done that one too many times."

"We've only done it once," James pointed out.

"That's still too many."

James shrugged. "Fine," he said carelessly. "If you want to sit through class and starve, fine by me."

"Good," Lily said, eyes still closed.

James was quiet before saying, "I could smell pancakes at breakfast, you know. They probably have dozens of them left over in the kitchens."

Lily's stomach rumbled.

James heard it and smirked; his plan was working. "There are so many different kinds of them, too," he continued conversationally. "Personally, my favorite is blueberry. But then again, that might not be fair since I haven't tried them all. I mean, with such variety, who would have the time? Or the stomach? There's maple…"

Lily unconsciously licked her lips.

"…strawberry, banana, almond…"

_Strawberry's my favorite…_she thought.

"…Boysenberry, raspberry, cherry, peppermint..." James counted off.

_There are peppermint pancakes…?_

"…chocolate and tomato, and then uberberry, which is one of the lesser-known flavors…"

_I'm interested to know what uberberry is…_

"…Then there are the ones that change colors, those are always interesting—"

"ALRIGHT!" Lily exclaimed. "We can go! Happy now?"

"Ecstatic," James cheerfully.

"I'm only going because I want to know what uberberry is," Lily told him stubbornly. "I've never even heard of it before."

"'Course you haven't," James said brightly. "I made it up."

Lily gave him a sidelong glance. "You play dirty."

"It's the only way to play, darling. Pancakes are my favorite; we couldn't miss them, could we?"

Lily rolled her eyes and got heavily to her feet, wincing as her sore muscles stretched. "Call me 'darling' again and you'll _be _a pancake."

"What will you do, transfigure me?" James retorted playfully. Lily shot him a sharp look and made a face. "Please, you couldn't transfigure a pancake from its batter."

"Shut up! Come on, before I change my mind, Potter."

Lily stretched her arms high over her head and started towards the door.

James watched her quietly, not moving from the ground. "James," he said suddenly.

Lily paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked at him, completely baffled. "What?" she asked.

James looked up at her and made eye contact. A smirk was growing on his face and the mischievous twinkle in his eye could even be seen from across the room. "You heard me, _Lily_," he said, purposely emphasizing her name. "My name…is James."

**A/n: EEEEEEEK! I have had that part written for MONTHS! It feels so good to finally get it down. I feel excited to hear everyone's feedback. **

**But now I have some VERY IMPORTANT issues that I need to address, so PLEASE DON'T SKIP THIS.**

1.) Up until now I've had a little outline that planned what would be happening. There should be only a few chapters left, and the story shouldn't be longer than 20 chapters. Now, I barely know what's going to happen myself. I know how I'm going to end this story, and that's about all. So…what ever I write from now on will basically be from the top of my head. Don't worry though, I won't ramble or stray from the plot.

BUT: IDEAS ARE VERY WELCOME! (as long as no one gets offended if I decide not to use it)

**2.) I've been struggling with this issue for awhile now, and it's got to do with a major plot point. And I've decided to take a poll from you readers. Here it is: should:**

**A. ONLY SIRIUS FIND OUT ABOUT LILY AND JAMES'S SWITCH?**

**B. ONLY REMUS FIND OUT ABOUT THE SWITCH?**

**C. BOTH SIRIUS AND REMUS FIGURE IT OUT?**

**D. NO ONE FIGURE IT OUT AND IT STAYS BETWEEN LILY AND JAMES?**

Now, I don't mind that many out there don't review, seeing as I hardly do so myself (guilty grin), but this time, **I'm begging everyone who reads this story to drop a note by, saying which choice they prefer and also briefly explaining why. I ask this of you because I want to know what the majority prefers. _PLEASE! _I am in dire need of everyone's help with this! Thanks in advance!**

**OH! Before I forget, a few quick notes:**

**GUESS WHAT? I HAVE THE KISSING WRITTEN! YAY! **I'm thinking about leaving a teaser from it at some point, but I'm not sure, yet.

**DEDICATION: **This is for **EAGERLY AWAITING THE 6TH BOOK**, who so kindly encouraged me to take my time. That was the nicest, most sincere review I have every received. Thank you so much for your kind words, it was exactly the pick-me-up that I needed. I hope you enjoyed it! So, for your compassionate thoughts, I happily dedicate this to you.

I have a mystery to solve. **WHERE IS INDIANGURL? **I haven't heard from you lately! I miss you and your friends leaving funny comments…sniffles **COME BACK!**

Until next time,

Spirit


	17. Getting to Know YouDifferently

**A/N: **Hey, everyone! Sorry about the delay. **Please** see my author's page for a longer note, talking about the poll and other things. Sorry for typos. Enjoy!

**Chapter 17: Getting to Know You…Differently**

Twenty minutes later found Lily and James in the kitchen as they enjoyed the various pancakes that James had promised. The House Elves bustled around them, pausing every few seconds to generously refill their plates with sausage, eggs, and pancakes of all flavors. Lily was surprised that she had taken quite the liking to the peppermint ones.

"I can't believe this," Lily muttered thickly as she took hearty bite. "I can't believe I'm sitting here, eating pancakes while we have class." She reached for a small pitcher and added more syrup to her plate. "And during Transfiguration of all classes! Surely, McGonagall will have my head."

"Oh, _stop_," James said amusedly, lounging back into his chair. "The worst she'll do is give us a detention, maybe two; nothing you haven't dealt with before."

Lily grinned wickedly. "The funny thing is, I find that I don't care all that much. After all, it's not like it'll change my life, right?"

James's eyebrows shot up. "Well, now, that's quite a different attitude, isn't it? I knew I'd have an effect on you, sooner or later."

Lily's smile faded slightly and she lowered her fork. "Then again, ask me how I feel an hour from now, and I'll probably be panicking about what McGonagall must think of me." James shook his head and raised his eyes heavenward, but before he could say anything, Lily spoke again. "But you know what? Screw McGonagall," she proclaimed resolutely, squaring back her shoulders and holding her head high. "I've had a crap morning, and I deserve a little relaxation after having my name slandered."

James playfully held up his glass to her in a toast. "Hear, hear! But let's talk about something more cheerful, hm? What do you say to getting to know each other, Lily?"

Lily couldn't help but start when James said her name; it still sounded so unfamiliar to hear him say her first name instead of her last. "What do you have in mind?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I'll ask you a question and you answer it honestly, and then you do the same to me. I think it would be rather interesting, don't you?"

Lily paused, contemplating his suggestion, and then said, "Alright, that should be fun. But," she added dangerously, giving James a warning glare. "The moment you cross into perverted territory, we're done."

"I would never!" he exclaimed, looking scandalized. "Merlin, Lily, where's the trust?"

"I trust that if you don't get on with the question, I'll change my mind and go to class," she deadpanned.

James laughed as he tipped his chair and balanced it on the two back lags. "Alright, alright, fine. We'll start with something simple. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Oh, _that's_ original."

Lily folded her arms and said, "Look, you asked, I'm just giving you an honest answer. If you want more detail, I prefer a rich, dark shade of navy blue to the other kinds. Okay, so my turn, right? Well, I'm not going to ask yours, you'll just say maroon, for Gryffindor. Talk about original." James made a face at her, but didn't deny her assumption. "Alright, um…what's your favorite animal?"

James stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Magical ones included?" Lily nodded. "I'd say a phoenix."

"Why a phoenix?"

"Because to me, it's the ultimate symbol of intelligence and loyalty, and in my opinion, those qualities are two of the most important attributes a person can have; also, a phoenix never dies, it's reborn. So, it's like the phoenix is always…transforming, you know? And, I guess that's how I think one should live life; his mind should be constantly changing and maturing as he goes through different experience, just like a phoenix does."

Lily blinked and her mouth fell open slightly, unprepared for such a profound explanation. _There he goes again,_ she thought, working James's words in his head. _Just when I least expect it, he says something that completely contradicts what I thought him to be. _

"Er…Lily?" James prompted uncertainly.

She jolted out of her reverie and quickly closed her mouth. "Oh, um…right, then. Go ahead."

"Okay…what's your favorite book?" he asked.

"Okay," Lily began, grinning sheepishly. "I know it sounds kind of childish, but I have this beautiful book about faeries, called, _The Sorcerer's Companion to Faerieology_. I bought it at Flourish and Blotts back in third year when I was school shopping. It's made of this magnificent shade of brown leather, with gold folio curled along the borders, and there's a picture of a faerie etched and dyed into the leather, plus a light blue gem embedded at the center—well, I'll just have to show you sometime. But _everything _about faeries is in that book; different races, their history, their customs…it's fascinating."

"I can tell," James replied, the side of his mouth quirked into a grin. "Although, you do seem more taken with the cover than you are with the contents."

"Well, I've always noticed a book's cover first, and sometimes I've even bought a book simply because it had a magnificent cover."

"Well, so much for not judging a book by its cover, hm?" he teased.

"Of course, once I actually looked inside _Faerieology_, I couldn't put the book down, and I've read it several times now. Plus, I've kind of developed a fascination with faeries since then. But enough about that, it's my turn. What's one of your favorite hobbies, besides Quidditch?"

"Drawing," James answered immediately. "I find it very relaxing and somewhat therapeutic."

"Yeah, you're really good at that," Lily jumped in. "I know I've already said this, but I had no idea you could draw so well."

"It's not something I broadcast, really."

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Ever since I was little." James hesitated and looked at his plate, running the tip of his finger along the edge. "I…wasn't really used to being around other kids," he said haltingly, being careful about how much he told her. "I spent most of my time alone, with the exception of my parents and grandfather, of course. So, I learned how to entertain myself, and the main method just happened to be drawing. I keep a sketchbook, and I've got several others in my room at home."

Lily leaned forward and rested her elbow on the table, placing her chin in her hand, and stabbed a sausage onto a fork. "Do you spell all of them into motion?" she asked with a full mouth.

"I used to," James replied with a shrug. "But ever since I found out that Muggle pictures don't move, I prefer to leave many of mine in the still format. If I draw a portrait of someone, the whole point is to capture the way they look in that one moment. That purpose would be gone if I made them move, right?"

"I suppose so," Lily agreed.

"Okay, so next question," he continued. "What _is _it with you women and shopping?"

"What do you mean?"

James took a swig of his coffee and gestured kindly to a house elf for a refill. "It just seems that everywhere I look, girls are shopping for clothes. Hell, when I think of all those bloody clothes you brought out last Friday it makes my feet hurt just _thinking_ of how many hours you spent looking for them!"

"How's that different from how much time _you _and the others spend shopping for pranks?" Lily shot back.

James opened and closed his mouth several times before scowling and admitting grudgingly, "Aright, fine. You've got me there."

"I'm glad we agree. Now, my turn; why are boys so damn immature?"

James snorted. "Don't be such a prude. Sometimes we just _like_ being immature. There doesn't always have to be a method to our madness; sometimes, it's just simply madness. It's more fun that way. You girls should try it instead of trying to find a reason for everything; I'm sure it would lessen your blood pressure considerably."

"I can see that I'm getting no where with this, so I'm just going to drop it. Take your turn." She sighed impatiently and took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

Biting down gently on the tip of his index finger, James thought a moment before asking, "How do girls put on pantyhose?"

Surprised by this random inquiry, Lily inhaled suddenly and was hit with a violent coughing fit as the pumpkin juice went down the wrong windpipe. Slamming down her glass, she bent over and covered her mouth as she tried to clear her throat. The house elves glanced over concernedly.

"Er…" James reached over and awkwardly thumped on her back. "Are you okay?"

Lily's hacking cough turned into a harsh gasps as she took several deep breaths. A moment later, they turned into a loud laughter that shook her shoulders. "Are—are you—you can't be serious—_ha-ha-ha!_—_pantyhose!_"

James frowned at her reaction. "What's so funny?" he asked defensively.

Lily clutched her stomach and doubled over even further as more laughter racked her body. "_Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! _'What's so funny?' '_What's—so—funny!' _Y-you ask me…you ask me how…_ha-ha-ha!—p-p-pantyhose!—_and you expect me not—_hee-hee-hee!—_not to _laugh!" _

"It's just a question!" Lily just shook her head; her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was giggling too hard answer his remark. James exhaled impatiently and folded his arms. "Well, _I _think it's a reasonable question," he muttered. "I mean, seriously, they don't exactly look…simple."

Lily leaned an elbow onto the table and covered her face with her hand as her laughter finally began to cease. "Oh, my God," she gasped, a hiccup escaping her mouth. "That was one of the funniest things I have ever heard…also one of the stupidest."

A small frown crossed James's face. "Don't judge me," he told her peevishly. This comment just provoked another giggle from his companion. "Come on, Ev—Lily, seriously; how do you put them on?"

Lily sighed one more time before glancing at James amusedly. "I suppose the same way you put on socks," she answered simply.

"No way!" James protested indignantly. "If that were true, I could've answered the question myself."

"Well," Lily relented. "I suppose it is a little different. You just…well." Lily twisted to the side and lifted one of her legs to pantomime her explanation. "You bunch up the leg of the stocking, and then you slip it over your foot and very carefully slide it over your leg." When James just looked at her dubiously Lily made a noise of impatience, and returned to original position. "Look, if you're still confused later on, why don't _you_ just try it?"

"Yeah, right," he snorted. "I have a better idea." A wolfish grin crossed James's face. "How about you show me when we switch back?"

Picking up her fork and gesturing with it menacingly, Lily warned, "What did I say about crossing into perverted territory?"

"It was just a joke!" James exclaimed, holding up his hands defensively. Lily just glared at him. "Fine, just forget it. Bloody hell, you have no sense of humor at all, do you?"

"It's my turn to ask a question," Lily announced, ignoring his comment as she poked her food. "Hmm…what's one thing you want to do before you die?"

James blinked in surprise. "Merlin's beard, Lily, could you be anymore morbid?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm just curious."

James sighed and picked up a piece of toast, studying it intently as he thought of what to say. "I don't know," he murmured thoughtfully. "I guess leave an impact in some way or another…influence someone or something. It'd be nice if I left some sort of interesting part or memory of me behind. It'd be useless to live life and not leave an impression, in my opinion. How boring would a person have to be if he didn't?" Lily nodded in response. "But enough of that," James said, grinning wryly. "How about we talk about something a little…happier?"

"Okay, ask away."

James took a sip of his coffee and looked at Lily over the brim, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Recognizing that look immediately, Lily stilled herself for a most likely random, possibly perverted, and most definitely embarrassing conversation.

Grinning smugly, James set his coffee mug down and leaned back into his chair, placing his hands on the back of his head in a relaxed manner. "So…Lils," he started.

Lily started suddenly at the nickname. "What'd you just call me?" she asked in surprise.

A confused expression crossed James's face. "What…?" he returned, completely clueless.

Lily pointed to him, still looking baffled. "'Lils,'" she told him. "You just called me 'Lils.'"

James blinked rapidly as though still in a daze. "Oh…um," he stammered. "I guess I hadn't noticed. I must've picked it up from Parker and Kate. That's what they call you, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…It's just that we've just started referring to each other by first names and already you're using my nickname. Moving rather fast, don't you think?"

A smile quirked on James's mouth. "Merlin, Lily, it's just a name; you sound like you're on a date trying to prevent a guy from hitting on you, or something," he teased. Lily threw him a look of annoyance, but said nothing. A short silence followed as James looked down somewhat shyly, toying with the hem of his shirt. "Well, whatever," he murmured. "I won't call you that if it bothers—"

"No, no," Lily interrupted. She waved her hand and laughed nervously. "I…its fine, I don't mind; I was just caught off guard, that's all."

James glanced up and grinned at her. "Okay, then," he said quietly. "Lils it is." Lily smiled uncertainly in return, and a moment lingered briefly until James forced himself to continue the conversation. He took a deep breath. "So, um…yeah. It was my turn, right?"

She nodded in agreement. "Right."

"Okay, um…damn, what was I going to ask?" James muttered to himself. He bit down on the tip of his thumb gently, attempting to gather his thoughts. When he finally remembered, James sat up straight excitedly. "Oh, right, I know, now!" His eyes took on that familiar mischievous glint as he looked at Lily. "So, Lily, how long did you like Remus, and why?"

Her mouth dropped open indignantly. "Hey, that's not fair!" she exclaimed. "That isn't a 'get-to-know-you' question; that's a 'none-of-your-business' question!"

"So what? You never ruled it out; you only said that the questions couldn't be perverted. It still fair, and you have to answer it."

"This isn't truth-or-dare, Potter! Ugh, fine, _James_," she added scathingly when he gave her a look. "Why do you want to know, anyway?"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because it's none of your business, that's why!"

James laughed loudly, letting his head tip back. "Look, it's something that I've always wanted to know, alright? I'm just curious about what you saw in him. Don't worry, it'll be our secret." He held his right hand up in an oath. "Marauder's honor."

Lily sighed and drummed her fingers on the table. "Fine, whatever," she lamented. "Well, I guess I liked him because…he was just really nice, you know?" As James nodded, a small voice popped unconsciously into his head. _I'm nice…usually. _"And," Lily continued. "His good looks didn't hurt either. I liked him for quite a while; almost the whole year. But then I decided that he felt more like a brother or cousin, so that was the end of that."

James nodded again, twirling his finger in the lukewarm coffee. "I guess I could understand that," he admitted, shrugging lightly. "Remus is a very likeable person."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have _you _liked anyone before in our inner circle?" Lily ventured. "Parker, or Kate…?"

James's hand jerked suddenly at Lily's question, causing him to nearly spill his coffee out on the table. "Uh, no," he said quickly, laughing nervously as he righted the mug. "No, I haven't." Eager to get away from the subject, James added loudly, "My turn again."

"Alright, fine, but this is the last one; we should probably leave soon."

"Okay, I'd better make this a good one, then." James tapped his fingers on the tabletop as he racked his brain for a question. "Okay, I've got it," he said, sitting up straight. "This is something that every male has always wondered since the beginning of time. _Why_ do you girls always go to the bathroom together?"

Lily snorted and answered, "Well, Why do you guys always watch sports together?"

James just blinked. "To watch sports…" he answered uncertainly, fixing her with a confused expression. "But what does that have anything to do with why you go to the bathroom in groups?"

"No, James," Lily said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes and tossing her napkin onto her plate. "I mean, why do you guys always do it _together?_"

James's mouth fell open, his slight confusion giving way to complete perplexity. "To watch sports _together_," he repeated slowly, gesturing with his hand.

"You mean you don't do it to…you know, bond or something?" Lily asked.

"What _are _you talking about?"

"Well…I mean, it's not something you do for male companionship or whatever?"

James groaned and dropped his head onto the back of the chair, covering his face with his hands. "Yes, Lily," he remarked dryly. "You have managed to uncover the hidden sensitive side of us men. We like to turn to each other between Quidditch plays and ask, 'So, that Top Caper Combo you just saw—how did it make you _feel?_" He emphasized the scenario by squeezing his eyes closed and earnestly clenching his fists, and taking on a tearful expression on his face.

Lily made a face at him and drawled, "I can see that my original point is completely lost on you. Alright, fine; a different analogy, then—"

"Lily, why can't you just answer the question instead of making up all these 'what ifs'?" James interrupted, slouching deeper into his chair. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Now I know what my next question will be: why do you girls _always_ insist on making things sound more complex than they really are?"

Lily narrowed her eyes and retorted, "I think the real mystery here is why you _boys _always insist on minimizing a situation that is much more complex than you make it sound, and then blaming us for overreacting when it turns out to really be much worse than you originally thought."

James's mouth fell open for a second time and he cocked his head to the side, staring into space out of the corner of his eyes as he tried to process what Lily had just told him. After a few moments of attempting to come up with an adequate response, he settled just on a bewildered, "_What!_"

Lily sighed and shook her head. "Never mind," she relented, rolling her eyes heavenward. "I'm sure a few years from now you'll think back on this conversation and suddenly be enlightened on what I meant."

James leaned back put his hands on the back of his head. "I doubt it," he said casually. "Seeing as I've already forgotten what you said."

Anyway," Lily said loudly, glaring at her companion. "Back to the original question; why we girls go to the bathroom together." James raised his eyebrows curiously. "It's like a bonding time," Lily explained.

"Bonding time," James repeated incredulously. "In the _loo."_

Lily shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling awkward; it really sounded a lot more ridiculous when James put it like that. "Well, yeah," she told him. "I mean, think about it. We go there all the time to fix our make up and stuff, so we end up meeting and checking up with what's been happening with each of us…and what's 'been happening' usually involves boys, arch enemies, mean teachers, etc. It's no more than catching up with each other."

"Still sounds like complete bullocks to me," James snorted. "I mean, think about it, Lily; you get together and talk about stuff that you could talk about anywhere else. What the hell is so special about a bloody bathroom?"

"What's so special about your bloody locker room?" Lily fired back.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that after Quidditch you and the other guys talk about the exact same things we girls do. Everyone knows that guys do their whole 'male talk' thing in the locker rooms when you're changing. We do our 'girl talk' in the bathroom. Why is that any different?"

"Because, Lily," James explained. "Girls go the loo planning to talk, and then end up using the toilet only if they have to. _We_ _boys, _on the other hand, go to the locker rooms _because_ we have to, and then, by chance, we end up talking. We don't go to the locker room planning to bond; c'mon, Lily, that'd be stupid! How weird would it be if I went up to Sirius and said, "Hey, Padfoot, I just asked that girl out; come with me to the locker room so I can tell you all about it'?" he mocked, gesturing derisively with his hands.

"Whatever," Lily muttered. "I still don't see the _major_ difference in it the whole thing. Either way, you end up bonding."

"So you're saying bonding is bonding, no matter what the location?"

"Well, I think the amount of bonding is helped by the location."

"Now _that _really is a load of bull. So, what, does the bathroom channel 'special feelings of companionship' for girls, or something?"

Lily frowned slightly, once again struck by the ridiculousness in James's statement. "Well…I guess…"

"So…then the kitchen could be a place of bonding."

"Um…why?"

"Well, we just bonded and we've never bonded in any other place, before. The bathroom may sometimes channel 'special feelings of companionship' and whatnot for you girls, but we didn't bond when we were in the prefect's bathroom together."

"Yes, we did," Lily countered. "Do you not recall the civil and almost-pleasant conversation that took place last weekend? What was that, if not bonding?"

James lifted his chin and said loftily, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Lily laughed and shook her head as she refilled her glass. "Right…whatever you say, James."

He raised his cup of coffee in a mock salute. "I'm glad we agree on something."

Laughing once more, Lily drained the rest of her juice and set the glass down onto the table with a loud thump. "Alright, seriously; one more question for each of us, and then we should go. Let's make these good ones, shall we?"

"What do you have in mind?" James asked curiously.

Lily paused in thought before saying, "How about we each share a secret? You know, to…formalize our new frenemyship."

At the word "secret" James instantly tensed. "What kind of secret?" he ventured, attempting to keep his voice neutral as he tightened his grip on his coffee mug.

"Oh, you know…" Lily shrugged nonchalantly, taking no notice of the change in James's demeanor. "I'm mean, it doesn't have to be something like an ultra, deep-dark, 'I'd have to kill you' sort of thing; just something that most people don't know about you." When James remained quiet, Lily said, "Alright, I'll go first." She drummed her fingers on the table, trying to think of what to say. "Okay," she told him, a grin spreading on her face. "You're going to think I'm completely insane, but you know the carriages that bring us to the castle after we get off the train?"

James nodded mutely.

"Well," Lily continued. "Everyone thinks they're drawn invisibly, and so did I, right? But in my third year, that all changed when I saw these horse-like creatures pulling them instead! I asked Parker where they got the new animals, but she just looked at me with a funny face and—"

"Wait a minute," James interrupted suddenly, sitting up straight in his chair. "Are you talking about the black skeletal-lookin' things with—"

"—the bat-like wings and the dragon-like heads! Then you can see them, too?" James nodded silently, averting his gaze from Lily. "I did some research and found out they're called Thestrals, and the way one can see them is—well," Lily waved her hand. "I'm sure you know already. Aren't they gorgeous?" she gushed.

At the same time James spat, "They're bloody revolting, aren't they?" But when he heard Lily's he snapped his head up and fixed her with a piercing stare. "What do you mean, 'gorgeous'?" he said incredulously. "Lily, those things look like they came out from the underworld! That black fleshy-hairy whatever-it-is sticking to their bod—actually, they don't even _have_ bodies! Just frames! And don't even get met started on that milky stuff that that replaces their eyes—"

"Oh, I don't know," Lily murmured thoughtfully, gazing down at her plate with a wistful smile on her face. "I always thought their eyes looked like pearls. And those wings are magnificent! The way they shimmer and everything. Plus…I kind of like being one of the few people able to see them. It's almost like a secret to keep to myself."

James stared at her blankly, oblivious to the steaming cup of coffee that one of the House Elves had replaced for his lukewarm one. "Lily," he intoned quietly. "The only reason you can see those things is because of someone's death; how the hell can you think of them as beautiful?"

Lily sighed and bit down on her lip, deep in thought as she tried to answer his question. "Well," she said slowly. "I guess it's because…death can be sort of beautiful, too, right? I mean, I know it's sad and everything, but at least the person is moving on to a more peaceful place." After an awkward pause, she added with a small laugh, "I've even named some them, the Thestrals. There's Balthazar, Angelo, Kaiser, and Solomon. I have yet to name a couple others, though."

James seemed to have visibly relaxed since his outburst. He glanced at Lily and cleared his throat. "Erm, how…I mean, what happened that made you see them? That is, if you don't mind me asking, of course," he said quickly.

"No, I don't mind. It's not that big a deal, really. I just happened to be the only one in the room at moment my great-aunt passed away, when I was about twelve. I didn't know her very well, but from the brief time I had with her, she seemed really nice. What about you?" she asked after a moment's hesitation.

James stared defiantly at the tabletop, swallowing thickly. "My grandfather," he told her hoarsely. "He died when I was 10, just before I came to Hogwarts. He and I were flying outside on our brooms when he had a heart attack. He fell about thirty feet, and would have hit the ground if my dad hadn't reacted so quickly; he saw my grandfather fall and…levitated him the rest of the way to the ground. I was next to him when he died. We were really close."

"I'm so sorry," Lily whispered.

He nodded gratefully, and looked up at her again. "He's the one who taught me to fly in the first place," he told her, a wry grin on his face. "It's one of the reasons Quidditch is so important to me. Can you imagine an eighty-six year old man zooming around in the air?"

Lily laughed as she pushed her chair back. "Only barely," she replied, standing and stretching her limbs. "Well, I think we should head off now, don't you?"

"Yeah," James agreed. He stood to his feet and walked to the kitchen door, holding it open for Lily to precede him into the hall. "So, any ideas about how we should explain our absences to the professor?"

A/N: Alright, I'm trying to do this quickly, so there won't be anything left to say except GO TO MY AUTHOR'S PAGE TO READ MY NOTE! You'll find a couple individual thanks and addresses. Thanks for sticking with me!

Until next time,

Spirit


	18. Conversations of Consideration

**A/N: To say it feels good to be back and I'm sorry for the SIX YEAR LONG delay, is a gross understatement. That said, I won't keep you from reading any longer. And a huge thanks to my wonderfully patient Beta, CharlieCats!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Conversations of Consideration**

"Seriously, mate," Sirius said. "I'm really beginning to get the feeling that something isn't quite right with Prongs. Doesn't something seem a bit… off to you?"

Remus drummed his fingers on the table as he poked his fork around his food aimlessly.

"Yeah, I've been thinking that lately, actually," he answered. "He seems like he's been a bit more… I don't know… stressed out or something. Or a little more…"

"High strung, right? Tell me about it! I walked in on him changing his shirt the other day in the room and he flipped his shit. Covered himself with his jumper and told me I needed to learn how to knock! I said, Prongs, I see _your_ full moon every full moon. I think I can handle your flat boobs."

"And what'd he say?" Remus laughed.

"He kind of just gave me a weird look and finished changing. His face got super red though." Sirius bit off a chunk of biscuit, his brow wrinkling as he contemplated what he relayed. "Hang on…" he said slowly, as a thought struck him. "He's been jumpy, slightly twitchy and anxious, he got embarrassed around me… oh, boy," he breathed.

Remus looked on as he watched Sirius work out his thoughts. "What?" he prompted. "What did you figure out?"

"Moony," Sirius asked in a hushed tone. "You don't reckon… I mean, if he does, I'll still totally be there for him, but—?"

"_What?! What_ do I reckon?!"

"You don't think that he's started fancying me, do you?"

Remus jaw dropped down and he gaped at Sirius incredulously. "Are you bloody kidding me? " he said. "_That's_ your brilliant theory? Seriously?!"

"Well, it could be!" Sirius defended. "I mean, think about it, is it really that farfetched considering everything?"

"Incredible," Remus laughed, shaking his head. "You, my dear Padfoot… just when I think you couldn't surprise me, your ego just pops up and proves me wrong."

"So you don't agree?"

"Oh, come off it!" Remus checked a roll at his friend's head.

"Alright, alright. Fine. We'll just keep an eye out then, yeah? Maybe he's going through a rough time or something we don't know about. We'll just talk to him."

"You should talk to him anyway after that whole spectacle in the hall," Parker chimed in from behind them. She set her bag down next to Sirius and swung her legs over the bench, reaching for a plate as she settled down. "Honestly, I've been thinking of that debacle all morning! Remus, can you pass that chicken right there? " Remus complied and she added a large helping as her plate. "James rushed off and then Lily rushed off," she continued, "and I have no idea _what _is going on with those two anymore. Neither of them were in class!"

"Well I saw Lily in Ancient Runes," Remus offered, scratching his chin. "I asked where she'd been and if she was okay, and all she said was that she needed to clear her head and had been in the kitchens. Which, by the way, I didn't even know she knew how to find."

"Kitchens? What do you mean?"

"The three of us sometimes go down there," Sirius clarified. "Just for an extra coffee here and there. Or toast. Or you know, duck. The usual."

"Duck?" Parker questioned. "But we only have duck at the winter feast."

"_You_ only have duck at the winter feast, " Remus corrected with a smile, tilting his head at her.

"So, what, you guys just go down there whenever, snap your fingers and they bring you a three course meal?"

"Parker, please," Remus scoffed. He poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "It's not like that at all. We actually clap our hands instead. Sirius isn't so great at snapping."

Sirius barked out a laugh and placed his hands on his chest, bowing his head. "Well, each of us does have our own faults."

A blast of short breath blew out of Parker's nose as she shook her head at the two boys in front of her. "Okay, well moving on from the fact that yet _another _part of this school is at your beck and call, you said she went to the kitchen. By herself?"

"No, it had to be with James," Sirius told her. "He rushed into class late too, and when I asked where he was he just said, 'With Lily, I was hungry.' I tried to ask if he was alright and what happened but he just shushed me and that was that."

"So just to clarify, none of us know the story behind anything that happened, right?" Parker set her elbows on the table and squeezed her eyes closed, pressing her finger tips into the corners of her eyelids as she tried to process her reasoning. "I just don't get it. It's like those two are completely oblivious to what went down, like it never happened! Meanwhile, the rest of us are sitting on pins and needles and trying to get some answers. I _know_ Lily and the fact that she isn't way more stressed out about all of this is not like her at all. And, add to the fact that in a moment where she's most of upset, it's _James _that she goes to? Of all people? That makes no sense at all!"

"Should you be relieved that she's calmer, period, no matter who she's around? " Sirius countered. "I love Lily but I think we can all agree that she needs to ease up. If she gets that from James, then fine, but whatever makes her chill out, we probably shouldn't interfere with it."

Parker shook her head. "No, you don't understand. It's not like I'm not happy she's facing this so well but considering she went with _him _and she's confiding in _him? _When neither Kate nor I know anything about anything?"

"Green-eyed-monster, much?" Remus replied. "Look, Parker, I know how James comes across, but you'd actually be surprised what he's like if you really knew him. He can be a very good comforter after a bad day."

"Yeah, I think you're sort of focused on the wrong part of the situation," Sirius added.

"Look, I'd be lying if I said Kate and I don't wonder why she hasn't been around us much but as for James—if it wasn't for how she felt about him, and so strongly, I wouldn't think anything of it. But this quick change to spending so much time with him? And now he's _physically_ defending her? Come _on_, you guys! They couldn't stand each other and now look at them! They're _sleeping on the couch!_"

"I'm not sure he ever said he couldn't stand Lily," Remus argued. "I know she hated him, but—"

"She never hated him, " Parker interrupted. "But you can't pretend his arrogance doesn't show up as a major part of his personality. He acts entitled all the time, he can't seem to take anything seriously, breaks _every_ rule and always gets away with it… for someone like Lily, the fact that he gets rewarded for all of this is what drives her crazy."

"Hang on on, now, you've got to be a bit more fair," Sirius interjected indignantly, getting worked up. "Lily may seem like a saint to everyone else but the way I see it James isn't the only one with a 'complex'."

"Sirius," Remus tried.

"No, Moony, someone needs to say it. I'm tired of James getting all the shit for this; Lily can be a doll but she really can be on her own high horse. She always concerns herself with following the rules and takes it on herself to hold everyone else to that. She's bossy as hell and assumes she knows everything, and then flies off the handle before knowing the entire story. At her best, Lils is a sweetheart, but when she gets into it she's like McGonagall Junior—she needles James just as much as he provokes her, so this whole thing is just as much her responsibility as it is his."

"Listen, Parker," Remus told her. "I may not agree with everything at Sirius says but he does have a valid point. I think if Lily weren't so combative all the time, she might take a liking to James."

Parker crossed her arms and said defensively, "He doesn't really give her a shot either, you know."

"Well I think that's changing," Remus reasoned. "I'm not sure what happened but they've been spending a lot of time together. It's really weird of them, yeah, and I was going to say something to Prongs. But now I'm beginning to get more convinced to leave them be."

"But what if something is wrong?"

"Yeah, Moony," Sirius agreed. "I don't like that James isn't himself."

"I know, but why don't we just sit back a minute and watch? If we noticed anything serious we'll step in, but as of right now, I see no negative side effects. Let's just let them work this one out for themselves."

"Well I can't say I promise I'm not at least going to check in with Lils and make sure that nothing serious is wrong," Parker said. "But I'll do my best not to get involved too much."

"Yeah, I agree," Sirius told him. "I think we should at least chat with James—if he says he's okay, then we won't press."

"Fair enough," Remus answered, shrugging his shoulders."

Sirius clapped his hands together and grinned broadly, his normal playful demeanor returning.

"Well! Now that that bit of unpleasantness is out of the way, let's create a small silver lining, shall we?" He reached into his pocket and shook out a red drawstring bag and dropped it onto the table. "Who wants to place the first bet? And no saying that it's because Lily is preggers—too cliché."

* * *

Lily sat outside the Headmaster's office waiting for him to open the door. A portrait had interrupted their respective lectures during class and informed them that Dumbledore wished to have a chat during their lunch hour. Instead of going to the Great Hall with their comrades, Lily and James made their way to their upper tower.

"It's probably because we skipped class," Lily muttered. She worriedly toyed with the corner at the hem of her robe and rapidly bounced her left leg. "Watch this, he'll tell us we missed some pop quiz or something. Or, I don't know, maybe some vital thing we need to know for the exams."

James slouched against the wall and tipped his head back, looking at Lily sideways as she rambled on. "Come on, lighten up. Don't tell me you regret breakfast, because a few hours ago you were all for doing this on the regular. Dumbledore is the headmaster of a school with thousands of students; there's no way we would be called over here for a meal that was just—oh, you know," he lifted his hand and gestured vaguely, "slightly mistimed. Nah, worse-case scenario, we'll get a detention."

"I know, I know." Lily sighed and started fidgeting again, this time with her tie. "I just hate that waiting game where you're waiting to find out what the punishment is going to be. It's always worse than the actual consequence itself."

"Shouldn't you be more nervous that he's going to tell us something regarding a situation that's a lot more serious? Like maybe that we're stuck in this little problem of being in each other's bodies?"

Lily's eyebrows shot up at James' suggestion and she looked at him in disbelief. She leaned forward and eased her elbows onto her knees, dropping her head down and cradling it in her hands. "Ugh, I didn't even think of that," she groaned.

James felt a twinge of guilt as he watched Lily's leg start begin to bounce again, the pace increasing.

_Wrong thing to say,_ he berated himself. _She didn't need any more anxiety._

Instinctively he reached out and gently rested a hand on the twitching limb, squeezing slightly to quell the rapid movement. "Easy, Lils," he said quietly. Almost immediately Lily stilled and lifted her head, looking startled as she regarded him.

"It's going to be fine," James reiterated. "Try not to worry so much, alright? We'll find a way out of this, Dumbledore would never allow us to stay stuck—the man is one of the most brilliant wizards of our time. He'll figure something out, okay."

Lily nodded and inhaled deeply, trying to dispel the tension she felt. "Okay. You're right. He wouldn't leave us like this." She breathed in and out again before turning to look to James.

"Thank you, " she told him sincerely. "Thank you for calming me down. You're just as stuck as I am and you're way more at ease not knowing what'll happen. I don't know how you do it, but clearly I should take a page out of your book. And," she added with a mock glare. "If you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it until my last breath."

"Understood," James laughed. "If this situation has proven anything to you it's that I can keep a secret, don't you think?"

Lily grinned back and shook her head, glancing down and playing with her tie again, this time languidly instead of the frantic movements before.

Satisfied that he calmed her down, James watched Lily's fingers work the tie for a moment before looking further down and seeing his hand still resting on her knee. He cleared his throat and quickly pulled it away, feeling his face grow warm as he awkwardly moved it to his own knee where he began drumming his fingers.

_How long did I have my hand there? She's going to think I'm creepy… I hope she doesn't think I'm creepy. I wasn't even being creepy!_

Eager to silence his thoughts and land firmly back into his comfort zone, he did what he knew best when he felt uncomfortable and tried to make light of the situation.

"Um… awkward," he said, forcing a laugh. He avoided looking at her as he tilted his head and scratched his neck. "Sorry about that. Been out of my body for too long and I missed the touch of my own limbs. Nothing personal. Not really like I'm touching _you _anyway, is it? More like I'm touching myself." As soon as the words were out James wished for nothing more than a time turner. He winced and pressed his fingers into his forehead. "Okay, um… sorry. That came out wrong. I, uh… what I meant was—"

"I got it, James," Lily cut in. "No need to continue to embarrass yourself, it's painful enough to watch as it is and you're making it worse by talking more, so… just stop."

_Thank Merlin! I can't remember the last time I babbled like such an idiot… C'mon, Potter, get with it. _"Um, right," he said aloud, trying to regain his social footing. "Sorry."

Raising an eyebrow, Lily shook her head, "What is going _on_ with you? You've said 'sorry' to me in the last few minutes than you have in the entire time we've known each other."

James opened his mouth to reply but Lily held her hand up to stop him before anything could be said. "Quit it. You're being weird."

James couldn't have asked for anything more than what happened next, when the heavy wooden door to Dumbledore's office swung open and revealed the Headmaster walking through the door way, greeting them with a warm smile. Eager to be free altogether of the uneasy situation he single-handedly created with his babbling, James jumped up from the bench and hurried inside without waiting for an official invitation of entry.

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up and he turned to Lily. "Was it something I said?" he asked mildly.

She heaved herself to her feet and lifted her hands over her head, linking her fingers together as she stretched and rolled her shoulders. She walked up to the headmaster and paused before the entry, clapping a hand to his shoulder amiably, as an old friend might greet another over pints in a pub.

"Behold, headmaster," she said breezily. "The side of James Potter that I have been waiting for others to see—even Peeves can make him look unrefined."

Offering a jovial smile, Lily gave one last pat to the bemused man and strode inside. She seated herself beside James and lounged back into the plush seat, somehow feeling much more at ease than shortly before despite still unaware of the reasons for the visit.

The door clicked shut and Dumbledore walked around the furniture to ease his old bones into his chair. As per to habit, he reached for a bowl in front of him and offered sweets to his pupils before beginning. James hurriedly plucked some chocolates from the bowl and popped a few into his mouth.

"Thank you, Headmaster," he managed to say around a full mouth. "Man, I am so hungry!"

"Oh dear," the man said. He picked up his wand and with a hasty wave, a platter of assorted sandwiches appeared in front of them. Another quick pop and a pitcher of pumpkin juice appeared as well. "I often forget that most have much better eating habits than your's truly and leave afters until—until, well, after the main meal. I, however, find myself quite distracted unless I don't enjoy my dessert first. I'm too busy wondering what it is, to enjoy what's in front of me. So, much to my mother's chagrin, I decided at an early age that it was only most logical to put that distraction to an end by consuming it first. Who am I to argue with logic, especially when it agrees with my childish whims? One can't disrupt order, now can they?" Finished, Dumbledore sighed with content.

Neither James nor Lily knew how to respond to their professor's personal tirade, and instead just offered polite smiles as they began to fill their plates. Once they'd served themselves to satisfaction, Dumbledore folded his hands and switched gears.

"Speaking of disrupting order," he began. "How are you adjusting to your rather curious predicament. If I'm not mistaken it has been nearly two weeks, correct?"

"Yes, headmaster," they replied.

"And, seeing as Gryffindor Tower is still intact, am I right to assume that things are going much better than what I anticipated?"

"Oh, well, we're trying to keep a somewhat low profile with all of this," Lily explained, gesturing between her and James.

"HA!" James barked. "A low profile, are you joking?! I'd say we've failed on… oh, about four out of five fronts with that goal."

"What are you on about?" Lily said. "I don't think we've been _that _bad."

"And I don't know which school you've been attending lately, but at mine, we've hardly managed to keep a low profile. Between this morning, the other night, the disastrous Quidditch game, and the fact that we've been playing house on the common room couches, I'd say operation subtlety is a definite fail."

"Indeed, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore said. "I do believe that a few changes might be necessary should subtlety be your intention. If I may be so bold, valiant displays in the halls perhaps are best kept behind closed doors. And," he paused and looked over his half moon glasses, "maintaining appropriate attendance records might be a good beginning."

"Yes, professor," Lily replied sheepishly. "Headmaster, are there any of our professors aware of our situation? Do they know what's going on?"

"Only Professor McGonagall," he assured her. "She is the head of her your house, so I believe it appropriate for her to remain abreast of such occurrences."

"Oh!" Lily said with surprise. "She's never let on that she knew. She's known since the start?"

"Since you two informed me, yes. But much to her dismay, I convinced her that involvement was currently unnecessary unless things take a turn for the worse. This spell is one where we are forced to let the course of nature have control. I have the utmost confidence that your bodies will be back to normal sooner than I originally anticipated."

"Do you think there's anything we can do to speed up the process?" Lily asked.

"On the contrary, Ms. Evans, I believe things are moving quite rapidly considering the nature of your acquaintance to Mr. Potter prior to the switch; the spell is a smart one and is not fooled; it only returns the owner's property once a true understanding of the other is obtained."

"You mean, like being best friends or something?"

"No, not necessarily. Something far more important—a true empathy and understanding for the other's perspective. Essentially, dispelling assumptions and prejudices based on assumptions alone. This is something that even some of the closest friends might fail to achieve."

"And of all people to have to accomplish it, Peeves chose us. I can't think of two more unsuited people to have to figure this out."

"On the contrary," the headmaster said. "I do believe you and Mr. Potter are exactly the type of duo the creator meant this for. Would you say you still see each other through the same eyes?"'

Lily shook her head somewhat reluctantly at the same time that James said quietly, "Not at all."

The answer seemed more said to himself than to the asker, and he looked down at his feet as he considered the question further.

_This girl is full of surprises,_ he thought to himself. _The way her mind works… I wonder what else I'll find out._

Discreetly surveying James's demeanor, Dumbledore bent his head to hide the small grin that began to spread, and coughed lightly to bring James out of his reverie. James' head snapped up and he looked to see if the other two people had noticed how he had drifted into his mind, but Lily was distractedly toying with a remaining bit of crust on her plate, and Dumbledore appeared preoccupied by straightening a stack of stray papers. Time to fill the silence.

"So, uh," James started. "you think we're on the right path, then? "

Dumbledore looked up from the parchment and looked at him; if James didn't know better the older man made purposeful eye-contact with him before responding. "Yes, Mr. Potter—I would venture that without a doubt you and Ms. Evans are doing splendidly." The upturn of his eyes was so delicate that James thought it might be a trick of the light. Or his own paranoia.

"Well then," Dumbledore said, resting his palms flat in front of him. "I see that you are doing excellently in spite of the circumstances. Keep me informed of any changes. Now! On with you both."


	19. Flight and Fight

**A/N: Hey, all! Thank you for the positive feedback and warm welcomes to my returns! It feels so good to keep this thing moving again. I'm pretty proud of this chapter, it's a big turning point for lily and James. Basically, the whole purpose of the switch kind of culminates. Hopefully you guys view it the same way and I look forward to any feedback, both good and bad, that you might have. That said, enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter 19: Flight and Fight**

Although Lily and James had lingered a few moments longer, somewhat hopeful that the old professor would offer more helpful words at their departure, Professor Dumbledore had turned his entire attention back to his desk, intently looking over a stack of parchment as though he'd forgotten the two students existed. With no other choice, they picked up their belongings and reluctantly shuffled out of the office.

"Well!" Lily sighed, hitching her bag more securely over her shoulder. "I feel like we learned more about Dumbledore's childhood than we did about this spell. I wish there was more research to read about this. Maybe some background would help."

"No, I don't think that'd do any good," James told her. "Dumbledore gave us any information about it that we needed to know. There's no way he'd hold out. Besides, any book would just say what we already know and the bottom line is the same—the only solution is a true understanding of one another."

"Okay, so how do we do that? We're already around each other more than we've ever been! What more can we _possibly_ do?"

James stopped walking and looked at Lily mischievously. "Why, Lily, what impeccable timing you have with your questions! I was just about to suggest something to facilitate the return to our bodies."

Lily's head dropped back and her shoulder's slouched, her body taking on that of a pouting toddler. "Oh no," she groaned. "What are you going to put me through _now?_"

"We need to practice your Quidditch," James stated. "Hopefully we'll be back to normal before the next match but we can't take any chances. We really should prep and run some drills just in case. I really can't handle another tragedy like QA-1."

"What's 'QA-1'?"

"Quidditch Apocalypse the First, my name for what went down at the last game. Clever, right?"

"No!" Lily exclaimed. "It's rude and not reassuring for me at all! You threw me out onto a pitch with nothing more than one practice and a conversation under my belt, among players that have been playing and practicing for years; of _course_ that game was a disaster! You think reminding me of that with some smart-arse title of the situation is going to make me want to run your stupid drills?"

"Look, you're right," James conceded. He placed his hands on her shoulders and jostled her ever so slightly to shake off her nerves and tension. "It was pretty unfair that I didn't prepare you properly and then expected you to just ace the game. It's a new beginning and we need to start slowly. You know, walk before you run and all that. Basically treat you like a first year with a training broom."

Lily folded her arms angrily and glared, spitting sharply, "_Maybe_ you should have had this mindset before launching me into the air with a bloody microscopic gold dot and a few homicidal cannonballs in front of the entire school!"

"I'm _sorry,_I'm trying to avoid that now in case you have to go out there again! Look, just…trust me, alright? I'm a good teacher, you'll be fine. Just you and me. No crowds. No pitch. Just you, me, and a broom."

"Ugh, alright." Lily craned her neck and rubbed at the stiffness gathered in a knot. "Fine, I'll do it. But it's supposed to be freezing out there tonight."

"We won't be outside."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked cautiously.

"You'll see," James laughed. "You'll be amazed. I can't ruin the surprise." He resumed striding down the hall and Lily quickly tried to catch up to him to get clarification on his mysterious answer, but any questions she had quickly evaporated when they turned the corner and nearly collided into Professor McGonagall, who stared at them sternly and pursed her lips together at the sight of them.

"Potter," she greeted crisply, looking at the correct of the two. She turned her head to look at Lily. "Evans."

"Hi, Professor," Lily returned guiltily. "I can explain about this morning."

"Enough, Evans. You know I don't tolerate any unexcused absences, especially from my upperclassmen."

"But I—!"

The woman held up a palm to stop any impending excuses. "No matter the current strange circumstances of you and Mr. Potter, your academic performances _will_ remain at the appropriate level. Detention, both of you, to be served Saturday evening." Professor McGonagall inhaled deeply and stood aside, nodding down toward the corridor to indicate permission to leave. James and Lily glanced at each other and exchanged exasperated looks before obeying their second dismissal of the afternoon.

* * *

Later that night in the Common Room, Parker and Kate sat near the fireplace surrounded by books and curls of parchment. For the umpteenth time Parker stopped writing on her parchment to check the time and looked toward the entrance. It had been a pattern of hers ever since they'd sat down to tackle their assignments. The steady scratch of her quill on the paper for a few minutes, then it would cease. Quiet for a few moments as she checked the clock and the door. A heavy sigh to break the silence before the _scratch, scratch_, _scratch_ resumed and the whole sequence began again.

"You need to stop," Kate muttered to her without looking up from her own homework. "You're making me anxious and breaking my concentration, and it is driving me batty. You keep shifting around and messing me up while I write. She'll get here when she gets here, and you being like this isn't going to make her arrive any faster."

"But where is she?" Parker said, completely exasperated. "She was Merlin-knows-where during lunch and every time I tried to talk to her, she'd dart away without even listening to me! She said she'd be here later tonight doing homework and I have yet to catch her. All I want to do is find out what happened today and see whether she's okay, but I can't do that if she's harder to pin down than a Cornish pixie!"

Kate blasted out a sigh of her own and dropped her quill, setting her inkpot down on the table. "Alright, Parker," she told her friend firmly. "She may not be 100% fine but if she wasn't she'd be right here on the couch with us relaying everything that happened over and over again like she does when something is upsetting. If anything, all she's doing is getting on with her day after a morning that was complete shit. That's a good sign, don't you think?"

"_Why_do people keep saying that to me? That's great and all, yes, but it's completely unlike the Lily we know. That's what bothers me and that's why I want to check on her—I don't care what any of you say, something is not right here!"

"I get it, Parker, really I do; but in the meantime, until she's sitting right here in front of us, there's nothing we can do about it right now. I'm wondering what's going on, too, and once I see her I'll be right there next to you peppering her with endless questions until she gives us answers. But in the meantime I still have a two-foot essay to write that's still due tomorrow. The Lily we know, as uptight as she is about her studies, is probably working on it right now in the library as we speak. So, do yourself a favor." Kate reached over and picked up Parker's quill, jammed it into her hand, and poised her hand over her unfinished assignment. "And _focus._"

* * *

Lily's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she watched James stride back and forth in front of a wall.

"I know this looks weird," James said, turning on his heel and walking back from where he came. "But you'll understand in a minute. I usually don't have to do it this many times but I lost count, so I have to start over." She was just about to remark on his behavior, after listening to him count under his breath, when James gave a whoop of victory and pointed at the wall in front of them. "Low and behold," he said triumphantly.

Where there had been a solid and continuous wall mere moments before now contained a simple door that had appeared at some point during James's pacing, and Lily had no idea how and when it had gotten there.

_Then again,_she thought. _Am I ever able to explain the way this castle operates?_

She warily looked at James, who had swung the door open and was waving her inside, before walking inside as well.

A single broom leaned against a stand in the middle of a vast space that was otherwise empty. The ground felt slightly springy underneath her. Experimentally rocking onto the balls of her feet, Lily looked down to see fresh, spring-green grass growing out from the floor.

"Cool, huh?" James said behind her. He shut the door and came to stand next to her. "This is the Room of Requirement. Not a lot of people know about it, but it's probably most incredible room in the entirety of the Hogwarts Castle."

"Because it has anything you need?" Lily ventured.

"Mhm."

"How did you find it?"

"A few years ago accidentally. I went wandering around the castle one day, wishing I had a sketch pad and a quill because I'd forgotten mine at home. Ever since I tried the Muggle ones, parchment doesn't really do it for me. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going, but I spotted a door and went through it. Found a brand new sketchpad with not only quills, but also a few Muggle drawing tools as well. It took me more than a few times to find it again and to figure out how to conjure it."

Lily blinked in surprise at his answer. "Oh," she murmured. The image of the picture he'd drawn earlier flashed across her memory. "This sounds super random but do you ever show anyone your drawings?"

"Well, it's not like I hide them or anything, but I don't usually show them about either. It's not really something a lot of people know about me. Why?"

"I don't know, I'm still a little bit in shock of how well you draw and I didn't realize you do it so much. I'm a bit curious about what your others look like. I know this is forward but would you ever let me see some more of them?"

James scratched his chin, suddenly a bit bashful. "Um…yeah, I guess I could do that sometime." Lily beamed at him excitedly and James felt his though his stomach plunged down to his feet.

"Great!" she said. "We'll call it a reward for making me go through with this. Speaking of, why is there only one broom?"

Thankful for her ability to distract herself, James cleared his throat and answered, "Because. I would like my body back without permanent paralysis." Lily glowered at him at his comment, the warm moment of before clearly forgotten. "I realized that the best way to avoid that outcome is to take small steps to the small steps."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning we're about to break out of our comfort zones." He walked over to the center of the room and lifted it from its stand. After tossing it up a little bit and testing its weight, he swung a his leg over the broomstick and moved around to get comfortable. "Get on," he instructed.

"What are we doing?"

"We're just going to fly around slowly. I just want to get you used to the feeling of the broom movement while we're in the air. No pressure, just zooming around. Now, hurry up and get on."

"Ugh, Potter—!" Lily protested.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all." He waved his hand impatiently at her and rolled his eyes. "_'You don't want to, you can't do this,'_ blah, blah, blah."

"_Fine,_but—"

"'_If I grope you I'm dead, I better not drop you, or you'll come back to haunt me,'_ blah, blah blah. Are we done here, did I cover the usuals? Let's get on with it, please."

With nothing else to add to the conversation, Lily scowled as she finally followed suit, climbing on behind and scooting until she was flush against him. She lightly grasped his waist. "Well, Potter, looks like Veronique is out of a job with those impressive Divination skills you just used, anticipating my thoughts so well."

"James," he chided. "First name basis, if you will. We aren't getting our bodies back by calling each other by our surnames. What's your middle name, by the way?"

Before Lily could answer her jaw tightly clenched shut as James kicked off from the ground and into the air. Her loose grasp at his waist turned into a vice grip at his middle as she instinctively threw her arms around him and squeezed.

"What, no countdown?!" she yelled into his ear, acutely aware how high they were rapidly rising.

"I didn't want to make you tense by counting off, I thought a surprise would be better."

"What's the matter with you, I was plenty calm before! _That plan is bollocks!_"

"What's your middle name?" James called back to her.

"Is this really the time for that? Especially since you faked an interest to try to distract me?!"

"Lily, just answer the question, dammit!"

"Elise!" she exclaimed, squeezing her eyes closed. "It's Elise, it's some family name. Are you happy now? Why do you want to know, anyway?"

"I'm trying to get you to chill out and not think so much," James told her. "Riding a broom is like riding a bike."

"Except without the _ground_."

"Lily, don't think so much!" he reiterated. "When you're on a broom you become part of it. When it turns, it's because your body turned, if it hits a bump the air, your body absorbs the movement, it doesn't resist or fight it. That's why it's like a bicycle. The best way to become a good broom-rider is to stop turning things over and over in your head about how to do it and just do it instinctively. To stop _thinking_. And Merlin well knows that with you, the only time your brain isn't running a mile a minute is when your mouth is running instead. Plus we're supposed to share things with one another anyway, two birds and one stone. So go on and ask me a question."

She couldn't deny that his metaphors didn't make sense. So, Lily took a few deep breaths and tried to focus on finding a question to pose as James continued to zoom them around the Room of Requirement. "Okay, uh…do you have siblings?"

"Ha! Talk about random!"

"This entire situation is random! We're flying together on one broom, indoors where grass is growing from the carpet, where anything you need just pops up!"

James chuckled at her assessment, unable to deny the facts. "Fair enough. No, I don't have siblings. Not biologically anyway. But Sirius is more than a brother to me than many actual siblings are to one another, including his own."

"Well, he is one of your best friends, isn't he?"

James banked left and considered Lily's question before saying hesitantly, "He is. But… I mean, he's not just a best friend. He's just someone that really gets me on a level that no one ever has."

Lily mentally noted the change in his tone, wondering where he was going with this.

"The thing about Sirius and I," James began, still thinking through what he wanted to say. "Is that…well the way people know and experience us is definitely part of who we are; but there are certain aspects about us that aren't all that obvious, things we don't really share. And that's just naturally who we each are, individually. We both kind of keep to ourselves in a way that I think most wouldn't expect. A lot of it I think is because of certain things we've experienced. Since we go so far back and we've both been there for a lot of those things, we each know each other in ways no one…" He trailed off as he came to realize that he'd already shared way more with Lily than he'd ever planned. Not only in regards to explaining his friendship with Sirius, but sharing his thoughts with a depth that he never meant to expose to her.

"Wow…" she murmured quietly. "I'd no idea that your friendship went so deep. I wish I had someone like that." Her grip at James's middle had become much more natural over the course of the conversation. James could feel her that her body wasn't as tense behind him as he maneuvered around.

"What about Parker and Kate?"

"Oh, of course I can talk to them about almost anything. You know I love them. But what you described with Sirius...well, I'm not sure I know anyone with such a bond as that with a friend. You don't have that with Remus and Peter?"

"With Remus, it's not like I couldn't. I am really close with him and he just picks up on things that most people don't That's just who he is as a person. And you can tell him anything and he won't judge you. So its not that I'm any less close to him, it's just a different level. Besides, he gets it. He understands the bond I've got with Sirius, and he respects it."

"And Peter?" Lily prompted.

"Psh." James snorted and shook his head. "Peter would do anything for the three of us," he explained. "But there's more of a desperation behind it so he's not exactly my first choice of a confidant in a deep vulnerable moment. It's more like, I'd tell him if I did something forbidden and he happened to see. Or if I broke a rule and it was a good story."

"So you don't trust him?"

"It's not that; I just know he'd say anything he thought I'd wanted to hear. Not exactly helpful."

"How do you let him hang out with you if you dislike him?"

"I never said I disliked him. Sirius doesn't much, though," he added as an afterthought.

Lily looked extremely confused. "Um, what am I missing?"

"Look, do I love Peter? Not completely, no. But I accept what he has to offer, no matter how limited - and it is. I didn't exactly choose him as a friend—someone was picking on him on the train at the start of 2nd year—I happened to see, put a stop to it, and he's followed us around ever since. He has no other friends, so…yeah. He's harmless. Though how he got into Gryffindor, I'll never know. Actually, I do—he says he comes from a line of Gryffindors, but he had to basically beg the hat to let him in. So who really knows?"

Lily grew quiet, turning James' words over in her head. She'd always looked at him and his friends thinking only of their juvenile antics, and their pranks. But after hearing him describe their friendship and different relationships he shared with each of the other Marauders, she realized she had dismissed them without really watching them and how they acted otherwise. Over the time that she'd been with James, it was clear how very dear friendship meant to him, how loyal he was to those he cared about. He'd broken the law for Remus in order to keep him company while he was in werewolf form, and at a very young age. She felt a twinge of guilt as she thought back to her reaction when he'd told her, how she'd jumped to conclusions and straight into a lecture without even acknowledging the risks he had taken. It wasn't a matter of risk and recklessness. It was a matter of loyalty, and it seemed that when this was a factor, everything else went into the hindsight. Becoming an Animagus wasn't foolish, like she'd thought. It was a deliberate and conscious choice that he had made.

James turned his head slightly and his eyes flickered back, silently checking in with Lily. He'd noted her silence but also realized how relaxed she felt behind him. Her arms rested securely around his waist, but had since lost the tight cinching from earlier. She leaned against him and had her cheek against the back of his shoulder, hunching slightly to accommodate their height difference that she'd been forced to acclimate to since their switch. Trying not to startle her, James eased into a smooth and shallow slope downward before easing up and curving left. Lily's form behind him remained uninterrupted.

_Wow, _he thought. _I guess my approach worked. _Despite feeling accomplished in calming her down, James mentally kicked himself for the very conversation that that was responsible for Lily's relaxed state. He'd opened up to her far more than he'd ever originally intended. In hindsight, he should have known better than to combine her questions with the activity that made him the most pensive, and his favorite method to clear his mind. _Of course I ended up running my mouth..._

"Did you not have many friends growing up?"

Her quietly posed question broke their silence in a gentle tone, yet the effect of the words was still somewhat jarring for James. "What makes you ask that?" he returned lightly.

The tension that manifested in his body didn't go unnoticed by Lily, and despite his casual tone, she knew something she said had somehow touched a nerve. "I don't know...it's just...the way you put everything on the line for Remus and Sirius, I suppose."

"Wouldn't all friends? All _good_ friends?"

"Well, yes, I reckon. But you really take it to another level. Almost as if you'd do anything not to lose them or something." In front of her, James gnawed slightly on his lower lip. The girl was far too perceptive for her own good. For _his_ own good. "It's as if you don't take for granted that friends like that aren't a given, so you'd go through anything for them," she continued to muse.

"Good Godric, you make me sound like such a needy sap," James replied.

"Sorry," Lily laughed. "I swear I meant it as a good thing. I'm just curious as to how you became so loyal."

James inhaled deeply and released a sound between a sigh and a weary groan. Did he really want to go there? They _were_ supposed to truly understand and empathize with one another to switch back, that he knew and had been told. But until now, on the verge of showing a vulnerability that he rarely, if ever, showed to anyone, he hadn't realized what that would actual entail.

Lily opened her mouth to tease him about his silence, but reconsidered when sensing his hesitation. Something told her she'd crossed a line from small talk into personal territory, going well beyond any boundaries James had in place. She felt like such a stranger to him—and for the first time since meeting him as a new student to Hogwarts, it actually mattered. For the first time, she found herself wanting to know him. "Look, I didn't mean to pry, we can just forget-"

"No, it's alright," he said finally, anxiously ruffling the hair at the back of his head. "I mean, we're supposed to be understanding each other and all, right? But no pity, or whatever, yeah? As soon as I hear anything akin to 'Aww, James', we change the subject."

"As if _I _would pity _you_," Lily snarked. "I'm not a card-carrying mentor of your fan club."

James chuckled quietly. "I'm well aware. Anyway, it's not as thought it's a big deal. I didn't deal with any major trauma or anything. I just grew up really lonely as a kid, before Hogwarts. There were kids in my neighborhood, but I didn't really interact with them. Barely at all. The scant few times that I did was at my mum's insisting and when I did, it was clear I was an outsider since I was never around them. So that made it even more uncomfortable. I could show a bit more of magic at an earlier age than normal, and my dad was always reminding me to behave. He was always nervous about me demonstrating it or losing control, and that made _me_ nervous. So eventually I just found it easier to avoid the whole situation by keeping mostly to myself. I just convinced myself it wasn't worth it."

"You were pretty isolated then, I would bet."

"I guess you could say that. But I wasn't completely alone," he added quickly. "My grandfather and I got really close. He was a big kid at heart anyway, and quite frankly, I probably wouldn't have been as close to him if I had friends. He taught me a lot. To fly, for instance, among other things."

"When did he die?" Lily asked gently.

"Just before my tenth birthday. Not long after I'd met Sirius, actually. Those two were peas in a pod, too, Sirius couldn't get enough of him."

"Oh? Did he spend a lot of time with your family?"

James nodded vigorously. "Oh, absolutely. Sirius knows what its like to be an outsider too. Worse than me, actually, considering the worst of it comes from his so-called family. That's why he's always with mine, he even spends summers with me."

"I have to say, you and Sirius sure know how to treat a fellow outsider," Lily said. "Just a tangent, but one of the reasons I'm surprised at you saying this is, is—well, shouldn't you be more understanding of Severus if you know all of this?"

"Who, Snape?" James clarified, taken aback by her random comment. He turned to look at her, eyes wide in disbelief at her defense of the Slytherin he could barely think of without being disgusted. "Lily, Severus Snape has a crap personality; he isn't a good person at all!"

"Yes, and you were the epitome of kindness when you had him at your wand's mercy upside-down!" she argued.

"Okay, whatever, you're going to say what you want," James told her dismissively. "You'll never convince me to like him, so we'll just agree to disagree."

Lily huffed and pursed her lips but decided to follow suit and let the subject go, knowing that James was right; as much as they were growing accustomed to the other's company and striving to reach understanding, the topic of Severus Snape would clearly be one of those that would undo that which they'd accomplished. "What do you mean, Sirius's 'so-called family'?" she brought up, trying to bring back the previous conversation.

"The curiosity never stops with you, does it?" James said. "But that's not my story to tell. I can't rob Sirius of the theatrics he so enjoys. Plus, he does a bang-up and hilarious impression of his mum and her house elf, Kreacher. You'll have to ask him. Sorry, love." The endearment had slipped out before he could think, leaving him completely bewildered as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Oh, onto endearments now, are we," Lily remarked humorously. "At this rate we'll be switched back before leaving the room!"

"Don't be ridiculous, I call everyone that," he fibbed. He felt his face begin to heat as he tried to appear unaffected and completely comfortable with the conversation. _Note to self: start calling everyone Love_.

"Oh, don't lie, you know I've become your favorite these last few weeks."

"Psh, please! Favorite number, maybe."

"Um, you lost me."

"Favorite number, because honestly, Lils, who knew you were hiding this figure eight underneath all of that prim and proper!" James whistled a long cat call as he traced the number in the air with his fingers.

Lily was far from amused by his appreciation and elbowed him angrily in his side without letting go of his waist. "Potter, you'd better not know a damn thing about my figure eight," she told him sharply.

James was unfazed and just turned his head to look at her, tilting his head roguishly and throwing in a lopsided grin. "I might know a thing or two," he said, lowering his voice seductively.

"Ugh! Put me down. NOW!"

"Oh, _stop_."

"No, I mean it," she bossed. "Let me off this thing. Put me down!"

James pressed his lips together into a firm line and pulled upward on the broom handle and eased to a stop in mid-air, but didn't make a move to descend. He rested one hand on his thigh and gestured with the other toward the ground below them, which was still about twenty feet away. "Alright then," he said tensely. "Go ahead. The ground is right there, don't let me stop you." Lily just scowled at him as she stayed put, as though she actually had a chance in the battle of wills that she'd started. After a moment of watching her be still, James rolled his eyes and snorted. He shook his head as he pressed forward, sending the broom in motion again. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't know who you think you are, but I think I've had you pegged for awhile now. If there's one thing I've learnt about you it's that your bark is a whole lot worse than your bite. On one hand people love you and you can be the sweetheart of Hogwarts but the same people run around afraid of your temper when really all you are is one big overreaction on legs."

"Excuse me?!" Lily broke in indignantly.

"Yeah, I said it. Someone has to!"

"What the hell are you on about?" the girl demanded.

"Exactly what I said! You overreact about the smallest things, Lily, it's bloody ridiculous!Any normal person would have just rolled her eyes and moved on but, no, _you_ have to go ahead and be ready to fly off the handle. Literally!" he added angrily, gesturing to the broom in front of them. James rolled his shoulders and leaned his head from one side to the other, trying to remain calm despite his temper swiftly rising. He hadn't realized how annoyed he was with the girl he'd been spending so much time with. He knew she irked him, yes, but things had been going so well—and at the same time she continued to nag and snap and harp. Despite learning about the different sides of her that were leading to his growing fondness, the flaws in her her personality still were what they were, and had been for as long as he'd known her—that said, James hadn't known how close he was to losing it on her until now. Her constant drivel must have piled up on his nerves.

Little did Lily know, she should have quit while she was ahead. But she was on a roll. "I'm ridiculous?" she repeated incredulously. "_I'm _ridiculous?! Just because I don't think your joke is funny—sorry for hurting your ego or _whatever_—"

"But, Lily, it was just that! A _joke._ You act like I spent the entire afternoon feeling you up or something, and you do that constantly—overreacting based only on assumptions before you consider the whole story. You should learn to have all of he facts before you go postal on people, or at least more than what you normally act on. Either that, or go get laid! Whatever you choose get that anger out of you before you give yourself a bloody stroke."

Silence.

Lily sat behind him, stunned into keep her mouth shut for once. The end of James's diatribe was punctuated by explosive inhales and exhales and the intermittent soft popping noises while he continued to roll out his tension in his neck and shoulders.

"Any other assessments of me you'd like to add while you're at it?" Lily asked him tersely. "Been holding that in awhile, have you?"

"Nope, I'm good," he fired back, sounding anything but. "And yes, I may have thought about it once or twice."

Silence again.

Lily bit down and chewed at her bottom lip, clenching her jaw and looking off to the side. Her pride was hurt, she couldn't deny it. As much as she accused James of suffering from a bruised ego, the truth in his words definitely turned the tables on her. No matter how harsh the delivery, she couldn't argue against the accuracy in what he had told her. Her pride, stubbornness, and, yes, sensitivity, often got the better of her, something her mother used to warn her about and still reminded her of to this day.

"_Just because you've got that flaming mane on your crown doesn't give you a right to be a hot-head anymore than the rest of us," _she would tell her. _"There's a time and a place, young lady, and you'll learn that place soon enough, even if you're put into it the hard way."_

And of all people to put her in it, James Potter had been the one to step up to the challenge. Only Merlin knew how many thought and said the same things about her behind her back.

That sucked.

And as much as she tried to ignore it, as much as she wished it wasn't the case, Lily felt her respect for James grow ever so slightly because of it all.

Somehow that sucked even worse.

Lily pressed her lips together and exhaled through her nose, trying her damn hardest not to let her frustration manifest in a string of curse words which would no doubt give James validation. As her pride was still recovering, she couldn't allow such a thing to happen at the moment. So, instead she chose continued silence, even though she knew there was no way to mistake it for indifference. The air had too much tension for that.

James noted her quiet reflection with satisfaction and left her alone with her thoughts. Although his outburst was just as unexpected to him as it was to her, he felt no regret that they'd been aired out. He didn't even feel bad for his harsh delivery—Lily clearly needed such a tone to wake her up. Considering how much attitude she dished out on a regular basis, an apology for throwing some of her own medicine back at her would be nothing short of surrender. He couldn't decided whether this meant he should never fly with Lily again, or on the other hand, if it meant she should go flying with him more often. Taking a deep breath, James eased forward onto his broom stick until the broom began a steady descent to the ground. He guided it around and around in a downward spiral until his feet gently met the indoor grass. He dismounted and reached up to stretch his limbs, then turned around. To his surprise, Lily hadn't stormed off the way he'd been certain she would do once she was off of the broom. Instead she lingered somewhat awkwardly, eyes trained on the green ground.

James cleared his throat loudly, cracking his knuckles. "Um...so," he began. "Was that alright, then? Your stomach contents still in their rightful places?" Lily nodded, her eyes darting up briefly before returning to their previous focus. He sighed and searched for something else to say. "Look, um, we're alright, aren't we? We've come so far and...I don't fancy undoing all that bonding we've managed over one row. We're so close to breaking Peeves' disaster, I can feel it."

Lily nodded again and muttered, "Yeah, we're alright." Twiddling her fingers, she took a moment to steel her nerves before continuing. "I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have gone off like that, in that tone, over nothing. You were right, I need to watch my temper. I've been told that before by my mum, so, I should have known something like this was going to happen at some point. I won't lie, having it come from you does absolutely nothing for my pride—" She cracked a quick smile at him. "But...yeah. There you have it."

Astonished, James finally lowered the eyebrow that had shot up during Lily's apology. He could hardly believe his ears—and apology and recognition from Lily Evans in one go? Not so long ago, James would have immediately thrown a joke or bragged in her face, reveling in a moment he thought would never come. But now, seeing Lily in momentarily lay down her pride like this, and come out of her comfort zone, the last thing he wanted to do was mock her. "It's all good," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "We've all got our faults and all."

Instead of easing her tension as he'd expected, Lily's body language remained unchanged. "There's something else. Something that's been bothering me and I may as well get it all out now in one go."

_Huh?! _James wondered. He was at a loss as to what Lily could possibly be talking about.

"I'm really sorry, James," she said.

He waited a for a few beats, thinking she would add clarification, but when she didn't offer an explanation he scratched back of his head and told her uncertainly, "No need to apologize twice, Lily. We're fine, I just—"

"No, no, I mean, about...just my attitude toward you in general. You're not exactly the way I assumed you were. And I'm sorry for the way I've treated you and talked to you without reason. You didn't deserve that. Well," she included as an afterthought. "Not most of the time anyway. Not as much as I thought, at least. So I'm not apologizing for the times you've been a right arse, just so we're clear, and there have been plenty of those, so—"

"Lily," James interrupted, amused. "Your insult is in danger of overshadowing your very sweet apology, and I would hate to make you do this twice for sincerity's sake."

She looked sheepish and a light blush stained her cheeks. "Right. Anyway, yeah, I'm sorry," she finally ended, glancing up at James.

He smiled at her and rested a hand on her shoulder amiably. "I actually really appreciate that, Lily. Apology accepted. And for what it's worth, you've changed a few misconceptions I've had about you, to. And I'm not just saying that for the sake of empty reciprocity. I mean it. I'm really enjoying getting to know you."

"Really?" she replied. Her lips turned upward in a tentative grin. "Why is that?"

James turned around and busied himself with the broom, pretending to tidy it up by dusting the handle here and there. Facing away from her gave him a chance to hide any expression that might involuntarily show up on his face while he explained himself. "I just mean," he began, keeping his voice casual. "Your personality isn't as obvious as I thought it was, that's all. I don't know, you surprise me a bit. I thought I had you all figured out, and I guess that wasn't the case."

"Oh," Lily responded, blinking in surprise and laughing softly. "Hope you're liking this side better than before!"

Suppressing the growing smile on his face, James nodded slightly. "You could say that."

They regarded each other for a few moments before Lily sighed, jerked her thumb toward the door and said, "So, shall we?"

"Yeah," the boy agreed. "How about some hot chocolate in the kitchens? One of the elves does an incredible concoction of hot chocolate and pumpkin juice that you absolutely need to try." He hoisted the broom onto his shoulder with one hand and with the other, reached into his pocket and pulled out his invisibility cloak, which he'd shrunken to store while they flew.

"Perfect, just what my sore legs and pride need," Lily said. She bent over and rubbed her upper legs, wincing at the pain she felt in her muscles. "And maybe an icepack to boot."

As they made their way toward the door they came across a small table right next to the exit that surely hadn't been there before. On the surface rested a box of bandages, an icepack, a bottle of firewhiskey, and two small glasses. James let out a loud peal of laughter. Lily's eyes lit up mirthfully and she looked up to the ceiling and called out, "Very clever! Thank you for the remedies!" Then she addressed James, saying wryly, "Of course, only in the magical world would a _room _have a comedy act and the final word. Bloody magic."

* * *

Remus pocketed the potion deeper into his robes and quickened his steps back to Gryffindor Tower. He had special permission to be out of the dorm out of hours on account of collecting the antidote for his condition from Professor Slughorn, and yet he always worried about running into other students sneaking around during the night. As a sixth year prefect he didn't need anyone questioning his credibility any more than he already got as a member of the Marauders; and as a werewolf, he didn't need any reason to seem any more suspicious.

He rounded the hall corner and when the Fat Lady's portrait came into sight at a distance, enjoying the sense of relief that calmed his heartbeat and came with the ease of making it back without incident. But as he drew closer his sensitive ears picked up muffled murmurs of two voices from behind him, carrying down from the opposite hall he'd just come from. Remus peeked back at the distance of the portrait and, determining he was too far away from the portrait to go through undetected, quickly ducked into a convenient alcove and pressed himself into the shadows.

"I'm just not sure it's the best thing," Remus heard the male say. He immediately identified the voice as belonging to James and rolled his eyes. _I should have known._ Assuming the only other person was Sirius, Remus made a move to come out but then stopped short at the second voice, a girl's.

"Oh, come on," she scoffed. "How is it worse? We've been sleeping on a couch together for almost two weeks! How is that normal? We're so close now, and we need to start acting in a way that doesn't attract attention. The best way to do that is to go back to our beds."

_Hold on, what?! _Remus heard a mumbled response from James and strained his ears to make out the words. He couldn't pick up on the details but the tone sounded snarky enough.

"Okay, fine," Lily gave in. "maybe not our own beds but you know what I mean by now—stop splitting hairs!"

Their voices had drawn nearer and Remus tucked himself further into the darkness. By the volume of their voices they'd just walked in front of the hollow but he saw nothing. _Invisibility cloak_, Remus determined.

"What are we going to tell them, though?" James worried. "They must think we're acting so strange! I still don't entirely know why we can't just say something. I'm tired of hiding and they could probably help us."

"How?" Lily countered. "You heard Dumbledore, only we can fix this. Besides, the more I think about it, maybe things we move along faster if we just rely on each other. You know, foster closeness through relying on just each other and some such stuff."

"Fair enough. Have they mentioned anything to you? Ugh, oh no, the Fat Lady is gone. Why does she constantly disappear when I need her!"

"Technically, now is the best time for her to do whatever it is she does, since we're not supposed to be on this side of the portrait. We'll just have to wait, I'm sure she'll be back soon. Anyway, no, no one's said anything to me. I know they're curious about our behavior, and that's a good thing because I don't think they'd be very good friends to us otherwise. But a few days ago I mentioned to Parker that you and I were helping each other with Charms and Transfiguration, since we're both respectively abysmal. She must have told the others, it's believable enough."

"Finally!" Remus heard James exclaim. "About time she's back. Fire of Leo."

Sneaking a look around from the alcove, Remus caught a pair of disappearing legs as James and Lily entered the Common Room. The Fat Lady's portrait swung closed, effectively cutting off his ability to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation, and his opportunity to learn more about the strange circumstances that his two friends were talking about.


End file.
